Frick Park’s Trackchair Program Gives People With Limited Mobility a Chance to Hit the Trails

PHOTO COURTESY OF PITTSBURGH PARKS CONSERVANCY

A new world is about to open to Pittsburghers with limited mobility.

On May 1, Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy will launch the Trackchair Program at Frick Park in Squirrel Hill South. Four electric-powered, all-terrain wheelchairs will be available to borrow free of charge for people 5 and older.

Inspired by snowmobiles, the ST24 Trackchairs provide traction and stability, even on rainy days. The devices are adaptable for right-hand, left-hand or attendant control and include accessories such as oxygen tank holders, adaptive seats and lateral leg and trunk supports.

Frick Park’s devices — paid for by a private funder — will be on loan Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. There will be three outings per day at 10 a.m., noon and 1:30 p.m. Advance registration is required and will open April 16 for the period between May 1 and June 7. Summer dates and registration information will be released at the end of May.

PHOTO COURTESY OF PITTSBURGH PARKS CONSERVANCY

Trackchair users must be accompanied by a caregiver throughout each two-hour excursion and a parent or legal guardian must be present with a user under the age of 18. Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy cannot assist with the transfer to and from the Trackchair, but the organization is equipped with a wooden, 30- by 8-inch transfer board with cut handles and an adjustable transfer belt.

A trained volunteer will provide safety procedures and operating instructions and accompany explorers during their maiden voyage.

Tress Belesi, Pittsburgh Park Conservancy’s assistive resources and accessibility coordinator, says that throughout the program’s first season, the team will experiment with incorporating the Trackchairs into public programs such as mushroom and birding hikes. She would like to see more chairs exploring other local parks in the future.

Located on 644 acres in the East End of Pittsburgh, Frick Park has an expansive network of trails. Thirty community members, ages 6 to 82, participated in the eight-week pilot program there between September and November. The Trackchairs were tested on the new Sensory Nature Trail, a fully accessible one-third-mile stretch located beside the Frick Environmental Center. The center also has a Lending Library that provides free assistive resources, sensory bags and exploration backpacks to enhance the park experience for all visitors.

Belesi says the Trackchairs, which can navigate slopes up to 20 degrees and go through 8 to 10 inches of water, will eventually hit more pathways, including the Falls Ravine Trail and Clayton Loop.

PHOTO COURTESY OF PITTSBURGH PARKS CONSERVANCY

While Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, a nonprofit organization dedicated to restoring and enhancing the city’s green spaces, turns 30 in 2026, Frick Environmental Center is also marking a decade of service.

A community gathering will be held on April 18 from 1 to 4 p.m. with nature-based activities, animal encounters, live music, vendors, food and a quiet space inside the building. More than 1,000 people have already registered for the free event. Trackchairs will be on display.

Belesi, a nature lover with a background in disability-inclusive informal education, worked at the Tenement Museum in New York City and the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh. They are in the process of training volunteers, including several occupational and physical therapists, for the Trackchair program.

“These devices,” Belesi says, “offer access to nature in a way many people have never had before.”

Frick Environmental Center is at 2005 Beechwood Blvd., Squirrel Hill South