Accessible Trail Tourism: Trail Accessibility and Difficulty Rating Approach Designed for Individuals, Including With Mobility Impairments

This study introduces a novel approach to trail accessibility and difficulty rating tailored specifically for individuals, including those with mobility impairments, aiming to promote accessible trail tourism. Grounded in theoretical frameworks of inclusive outdoor recreation, equality, and complex adaptive systems, the proposed rating system incorporates criteria addressing physical access, terrain challenges, and amenities to accommodate diverse user needs. This study employed a sensor technology, called wheeled instrumentation sensor package (WISP) within the framework of the high-efficiency trail assessment process (HETAP) to develop a new quantitatively based trail classification scheme. A case study trail and two hypothetical synthetic data trails were used to demonstrate both the trail wheelchair accessibility binary classification approach and the proposed trail difficulty classification approach. This research pioneers trail accessibility and difficulty rating and underscores the importance of integrating accessibility considerations into trail management practices to create truly inclusive outdoor recreational experiences.