The GRIT Freedom Chair is a mix between a manual wheelchair and a mountain bike designed for use on natural surface and paved trails.
Current Location: Brookside Nature Center 1400 Glenallan Ave Wheaton, MD 20902
Nature Center Hours: Wednesday-Saturday, 10am-4pm; Sunday 12pm-4pm.
Until further notice, please contact the Program Access Office, 301-495-2581 or programaccess@montgomeryparks.org, to make arrangements to reserve a GRIT Chair for use during Nature Center Hours.
Important Information
Reservation Confirmation:
- Please call at least 5 days prior to your anticipated visit to ensure staff availability.
- The chair can be borrowed for up to 2 hours at a time.
- Users will be asked to sign a waiver and provide an emergency contact.
- Users will exchange an important item, such as their ID, credit card, or car keys to use the chair. User’s item will be held safely by facility staff and will be returned upon the chair‘s return.
Safety Recommendations:
For your safety, we strongly recommend hiking with another person and carrying a cell phone. We also encourage users to check the weather and the sunset conditions to ensure you are back before it gets dark. Please note that trail conditions are subject to change based on weather and can be more strenuous based on different times of the year. We also recommend that you do not hike with a pet while using the GRIT Freedom Chair, with the exception of a service animal.
Physical Requirements:
Riders must fall within the height range of 4’10” to 6’8″ and weigh under 300 pounds. The chair is designed for individuals who may have difficulty using traditional wheelchairs due to terrain challenges. While the chair does not require extreme upper body strength, users need to be able to push and pull the levers to propel the chair. The chair also includes Trail Handles, which can be pushed by a companion, if the user needs assistance maneuvering the trails or terrain
Recommended Trails
For a map of the trails available nearby Brookside Nature Center, please view the link to the Wheaton Regional Trails Map. Maps are also available inside the Nature Center. All of the trails are shared with the general public, and some are open to horses, so please stay alert and always yield to horses.
Some trails to explore include:
- Pine Lake Trail
- Pine Lake Trail is an easy .43-mile natural surface trail. Please note that this trail includes rocks, roots, and moderate inclines. The trail leads to access to a paved trail and boardwalk around Pine Lake.
- Link to YouTube to view trail
- Harper’s Cabin Trail
- This 0.13 mile natural surface trail will give you views of the historic Harper Cabin and the Meadow.
- Brookside Gardens Access
- Brookside Gardens is accessible across a small boardwalk and through a deer gate in the Nature Center parking lot. The gate may be inaccessible for wheelchair users due to the wide sweep of the door and may need to be opened by a companion. Please note that there are no pets allowed at Brookside Gardens, with the exception of service animals.
Video Tutorials:
Learn how to transfer in and out of the GRIT Freedom Chair by watching the video “Transferring In and Out of the GRIT Freedom Chair”
Learn how to use the GRIT Freedom Chair by watching the video “How to Use the GRIT Freedom Chair”
Learn how to get out of tight spots while in the GRIT Freedom Chair by watching the video “How to Get Unstuck”
