Lane County Parks partners with Oregon Coast Visitors Association to bring mobility mats to Heceta Beach

Lane County Parks rolled out its latest effort to make popular park locations more accessible by adding mobility mats at Heceta Beach County Park.

"This project is a great example of making a park more welcoming and available to everyone in our community," said Lane County Parks Manager Brett Henry. "It's also an example of working together to make improvements that might not be possible alone. We're really excited to be adding mobility mats to one of our popular coastal parks."

Mobility mats are portable, non-slip pathways that make it easier for people using wheelchairs, strollers, or with limited mobility, to access sandy areas. They create a stable surface so that more people can enjoy the beach.

The new mobility mats at Heceta Beach create a 6-foot-wide pathway that reaches 120 feet from the parking area and along the sandy path to the beach and ending just beyond the regular high tide line.

The mobility mats were purchased using grant funds provided by the Oregon Coast Visitors Association, and Travel Lane County helped make the connection between the agencies. Lane County Parks installed the mats and plans to add more to expand their reach using levy funds.

Heceta Beach County Park is also the site of a David's Chair location in partnership with Lane County Parks and Driftwood Shores. David's Chair provides FREE access to all-terrain track chairs that can help people who otherwise would not be able to enjoy the beach spend time on the sand. Learn more about David and the organization at www.davidschair.org.