Trackchair makes Lake Bronson State Park more accessible

By Anna Jauhola
For the next few weeks, those with lessened or no mobility have the chance to try out a new way to see more of Lake Bronson State Park.
As a part of the Get Out MORE Program through the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Lake Bronson will share a trackchair with Zippel Bay, Hayes Lake and Big Bog state parks. The chairs come from Marshall, Minn.-based company Action Trackchair.
“I know we’ve had some local people who are very interested,” said Assistant Park Manager Amber Locnikar. “There were a few people around town, they are wheelchair bound, and they started calling almost every day asking if we got one yet.”
Locnikar and park staff have been pushing for a chair in the northwest corner of Minnesota ever since, and when it finally arrived, it was a real win.
The motorized electric chair is much like a wheelchair, but has a set of triangular tracks that easily travel most grassy trails in Lake Bronson State Park. Locnikar and other staff have been testing the chair on different trails and have marked off several as safe for the chair. They have also tested it on the beach, and it worked beautifully, she said.
“They’re not just for someone who can’t walk,” Locnikar said. “It can be used by people who can’t walk very far or very well, or if you’ve had hip or knee or ankle problems, and you just want to get to more than just one little trail.”
Locnikar debuted the chair to the community during the BronsonFest parade on Saturday, Aug. 2. She said at least half a dozen people stopped her during the parade to talk to her about it.
So far, no one has checked out the track chair, but it is definitely ready for use.
And it is easy to use. This reporter took it for a spin along a grassy trail and along the paved bike path. It does not go faster than a casual walking speed at its top setting. Even on the bumpiest path, it’s easy to get used to and control. It has two joysticks, one on each armrest, to accommodate left-handed and right-handed people. Also, the left-hand joystick is removable so if the user can’t control the chair themselves, their companion can do the controlling.
The controls allow for backward, forward, turning and can do a 360 turn. The chair also tilts forward to allow better access to getting on the chair, and backward for comfort or to adjust to dips in the trail. The armrests are removable or lift up to allow users to transfer if they are wheelchair users. And the footrest flips up to let someone get closer to the chair, and it features footstraps for added safety.
“It has two forms of safety belts. One is a harness for anybody who can’t quite hold themselves up and there’s a lap belt,” Locnikar said. “When people check it out, they have to wear one or the other at all times.”
The chair is also mostly waterproof. When the lake is filled again, users can dip their toes in the water as the chair can go into the water up to about a foot and a half.
Anyone who wants to borrow the chair has to either be 18 or older, or have someone with them who is over 18. Also, park staff will not transfer people into or out of the chair – it is the user’s responsibility to have someone with them who can assist, Locnikar said.
Park staff will give users a brief introduction to the machine, along with any rules, before they take off on an adventure.
For those who want to try the chair, it’s free to check out but you need to call ahead – 218-754-2200 – to make sure it’s available. Typically, it’s available between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., which are the park’s office hours. The chair’s batteries allow for about 6 hours of continuous use. It will be available at Lake Bronson State Park through the middle of September, and then it will be transported to one of the other parks for use during the fall.

ASSISTANT PARK MANAGER AMBER LOCNIKAR shows off the Action Trackchair that recently arrived at Lake Bronson State Park. (Enterprise photo by Anna Jauhola)