ADAPTIVE SPORTS & ACCESSIBILITY OPEN HOUSE
Adventure for Everyone
We believe adventure is for everyone, regardless of one's abilities. We're inviting you to join us on Tuesday, January 21st to observe and participate in adaptive winter sports. This is your opportunity to try ice skating, cross country skiing, snowshoeing and luge.
Open House Details
Location: Muskegon Luge Adventure Sports Park
Address: 462 Scenic Drive, Muskegon, MI 49445 (located inside Muskegon State Park)
When: Tuesday, January 21st from 1pm to 7pm (drop in any time)
Activities: Ice skating, Snowshoeing, Cross Country Skiing, Luge (all activities provided with assistance and adaptive equipment)
Cost: This is a FREE event. No pass purchase is required, but we ask that anyone who wishes to particpate in activities RSVP in advance.
Accessibility at Muskegon Luge
Our park has accessibility features like widened pathways and ramps at our lodge. Hiking trails and areas around the lodge have a packed dolomite surface for wheel chair use. We also have equipment, like an all-terrain track chair and an accessible UTV with a pull-down ramp and wheel chair tie-downs to transport people to different venues within the Park.
About Our Adaptive Sports
Through the use of special equipment and various adaptations we are able to provide access to anyone who wants to try any of our activities. Our staff is trained to work with participants and discuss the best ways to adapt the activity based on individual needs.
Community Partners
For this event we have partnered with the following organizations to assist with providing accessible recreation. These partners are volunteering their time and resources to help plan the event, provide professional expertise in working directly with participants and providing customized adaptive equipment for the activities.
Take a look at how we've adapted our activities
Adaptive Luge
(Offered year-round)
Our adaptive luge program can allow a person without lower body mobility to steer a sled using reigns. We've also worked with visitors with visual or hearing impairments to adapt using additional or modified communication. This can be done on ice or on our wheel luge track.
Adaptive Cross Country Skiing
(Offered December - March)
Our sit ski allows people without lower body mobility to participate in cross country skiing on our trails. The sit ski allows you to glide by double poling with upper body movement only. The ski also has support and strapping for the participant's legs to rest securely.
Adaptive Ice Skating
(Offered December - March)
Our adaptive ice sled allows a person without lower body mobility to sit and skate on our ice rink and trail using spiked sticks to move around the ice. We also skate trainers, a piece of equipment that can be pushed in front of a skater to assist with balance.
Adaptive Ice Bike
(Offered December - March)
The ice bike is an alternative way to enjoy the ice rink. Participants pedal the bike on the ice, which is equipped with two skate blades on the front and a fat tire on the rear. This piece of equipment is useful to people who are not used to or have difficulty balancing on ice skates.
All-Terrain Track Chair
(Offered year-round)
The all-terrain track chair can be used anywhere in the State Park, including beach sand and snow. The chair was donated to the DNR and can be reserved to use in the park any time. The Sports Park hiking trails are groomed and marked for accessibility. Trails are lighted on select nights in the fall and throughout the winter.
Adaptive Zip Line
(Offered April - October)
We can use an "easy seat" to allow a participant without lower body mobility to be supported while zipping down the line. We use our modified UTV to transport participants to the top of the dune. Up top, for people who are not able to climb the stairs, we can hoist the participant to the top platform using our "RALF" pulley system.
Background
In 2009 we partnered with the Michigan DNR to develop our accessible hiking trail system, the Lost Lake lookout platform and our accessible wheel luge track through a $700,000 grant from the Kellogg Foundation's Access to Recreation program. In 2019 we were awarded a $300,000 grant from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund which allowed us to develop our adaptive zip line and canopy tour.
Our team is committed to continually learning and expanding our experience in universal accessibility and adaptive sports. We have hired industry professionals to train our staff in how to communicate with guests and how to use equipment and adapt our activities. Of course, there's no such thing as a "one size fits all" approach to adaptive sports. Our process is to have open communication with anyone who wants to recreate so we can work together to figure out how to make it happen.
Team Building for Groups
Plan a mental health day for employees or do some bonding with your Scouts or athletes. We'll help you plan a full itinerary of adventure activies that will bring your team together.
Start Planning
Give an Adventure Sports Gift
Give a fun experience for your next gift. Digital gift cards are available in any amount, any time.