Imagine for a moment something unexpected happening to you that causes you to become paralyzed, be it an accident or disease. One oft-overlooked consequence of this new life to which you adjust is a restriction in getting out in parks to enjoy nature. Many mountain parks and trails, in particular, are simply not accessible to those with disabilities. Trails are steep, uneven, and narrow, fishing piers not ADA compliant, staff and volunteers not trained in assisting those with disabilities.
Mark Madsen was one such person. He was a long-time resident of Pine, CO who loved the outdoors and spent countless hours hiking and biking with his sons in the area of what is now Staunton State Park. One night in April 2001, Mark rolled his car when he swerved to avoid hitting a deer. As a result of this devastating accident, Mark was left a quadriplegic, paralyzed from the neck down. In spite of his disability, Mark continued to spend time at his mountain cabin by Lions Head whenever he could.
After Staunton State Park officially opened in 2013, Mark was again able to enjoy many of his favorite places within Staunton with the help of a track chair borrowed from Craig Hospital where he rehabbed and a Staunton volunteer who also worked at Craig Hospital. Sadly, Mark passed away only 2 years later, on August 10, 2015.
At the encouragement of the Madsen family, Friends of Staunton State Park established the Mark Madsen Accessibility Fund in 2016 with the goal of purchasing our very own track chairs so park visitors with disabilities could reserve them free of charge and get outdoors. We also wanted to assist nonprofit groups, such as Hills, Inc., dedicated to working with persons with disabilities, to more easily visit the park by providing them with grants to cover the cost of a trip to Staunton. We held our inaugural Mark Madsen BBQ Fundraiser on the anniversary of Mark’s passing in August 2016 and thanks to many generous donors raised over $40,000 allowing us to purchase two Action track chairs within that first year.
None of this could’ve happened without the complete support of Colorado Parks & Wildlife who created the procedures and documentation for the Staunton Track-Chair Program and recruited and trained volunteers. The following summer the program began taking visitors with disabilities out on trail hikes with a volunteer going out with each hike and the participant’s caregiver. The season after that, Staunton State Park hired a Track-Chair Program Manager and upgraded the fishing piers at Davis Ponds to be ADA compliant. Friends of Staunton State Park purchased adaptive fishing equipment for use at the park and provided funding for a trailer and maintenance of the track chairs. Thanks to grants from the Rotary Club of Conifer, we were also able to purchase adaptive car seats and other accessories for the track chairs allowing our smaller-framed and younger visitors to more comfortably and safely fit in them.
Ashley Weber ready to hike 
Family fun! 
HILLS Inc group 
Hudson and Ted Hammon 
Lisa at Davis Ponds 
Lisa on Davis Ponds Trail 
Mack and group at Old Mill Iron Bunkhouse 
Mack and group at Old Miller Iron Bunkhouse 
Mark 1, 2 and 3 Track Chairs with Trailer 
Mark IV on its maiden hike 
Mark IV with Program Coordinator Natalie, some volunteers, and Wayne from Friends of Staunton State Park 
Mark 2 Track Chair 
Mark Madsen on trail 
Morgan Cassie, Ira, and Ted 
Morgan, Wayne, and Steve 
Morgan’s Family at Davis Ponds 
New Staunton Action Track Chair 
Red Rocks Community College Kids 
Staunton State Park Staff 
Track Chairs from Craig Hospital 
Family from Wisconsin using the track chair 
Lisa at Davis Ponds 
Mat Matson in the Action Track Chair
Since its inception, fundraising for the Mark Madsen Accessibility Fund has enabled Friends of Staunton State Park to purchase 3 Action Track Chairs at a cost of $15,000 each and 5 Action Track Chairs at a cost of $17,000 each. The more expensive models have a new suspension system that provides a much smoother ride for participants. The 3 older track chairs, which did not have the suspension system, found homes at Barr Lake State Park and Ridgway State Park, both in Colorado. Since then both parks have added additional track chairs to their programs.
In September of 2021, the Staunton Track Chair Program passed a wonderful milestone – 1000 visitors with disabilities were able to hike and fish at Staunton State Park with friends and family since the program’s inception in 2017!
The annual maintenance for the track chairs is approximately $550 each for batteries and $750 for tracks when needed, which Friends of Staunton State Park covers entirely. If you’d like to help support this amazing program, sign up to volunteer, donate online, or send a check to Friends of Staunton State Park, PO Box 695, Pine CO 80470. Thank you for helping put smiles on faces of those who might not otherwise be able to get out and enjoy nature. We deeply appreciate your support!
Testimonials from Track Chair Users
To view the video of Mark Madsen’s last concert.
Click here to make a donation.
For the Track-Chair Program brochure, please click here.