The Fjord Trail is designed to be inclusive of people of all abilities, carefully following Accessibility Guidelines for Federal Outdoor Developed Areas (AGODA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
We will be seeking partnerships with regional adaptive athletic organizations and hope the Fjord Trail will become a popular destination for adaptive runners, hikers, cyclists, and more.
The Main Trail connecting the gateways at Cold Spring and Beacon aims to be fully accessible, although uneven terrain in certain sections north of Breakneck Ridge may require a few steps with handrails.
The nearly two miles to comprise the Shoreline Trail, connecting the Lower Overlook at Breakneck and Dockside Park in Cold Spring, will be completely free of stairs.
We know that defining what makes the Fjord Trail accessible is important to outdoorspeople with disabilities: the words “ADA accessible” are not really all that descriptive. Here’s what we mean:
The Main Trail is designed to conform to the following ADA and AGODA guidelines:
- Most slopes at 5% or lower grade and regular resting intervals
- Minimum width of 36 inches (most areas of the main trail are 10–14 feet wide) with required ADA turning space
- Surfaces: firm and stable trail surfaces with tactile shoulders for visually impaired users. Crushed stone will be sized to meet AGODA standards making travel comfortable for people in wheelchairs and using other assistive devices
- Restrooms are all ADA compliant
- Accessible kayak launches: plans are still in the preliminary phase but the design team aims to include transfer benches at kayak put-ins
- Accessible parts of the Main Trail will be kept free of snow
