How the EXPLORE Act is Promoting Accessibility on Public Lands

America’s public lands, including national parks, forests, recreation areas, and more, have long been considered one of the nation’s treasures, full of stunning vistas and breathtaking recreational opportunities. However, navigating federal public lands is not always an easy task—especially for families and people with disabilities. Visitors and employees struggle with limited restrooms, spotty cell service, and parking shortages. Many trails and activities are entirely inaccessible to those with limited mobility. Meanwhile, the communities surrounding parks and public lands struggle to manage their role as gateways while dealing with issues like housing shortages and overtourism.

The bipartisan Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE) Act (H.R. 6492) aims to change that. The bill, which would make outdoor recreation of all kinds available and accessible to all, passed the House of Representatives in April 2024. As the bill works its way through the Senate, it is inching closer to becoming law.

The first goal of the EXPLORE Act is to better understand the current state of outdoor recreation on public land. The Act would require an overall assessment of what resources for recreation exist at the moment and standardize visitation data in one reporting system to make it more understandable. It would also call for yearly budget reports on outdoor recreation to ensure funding data is available to Congress and the public. Additionally, many of the more specific provisions of the Act require assessments to be conducted before action can be taken, emphasizing the Act’s commitment to data collection.

The EXPLORE Act would also catalyze improvements to general facilities on public lands. Parking, restrooms, cell service, and even broadband internet are all targeted for additional support. Efforts like these can make a major difference for visitor and employee experience, thereby encouraging people to spend more time outdoors. In particular, visitors with medical conditions or young children will appreciate better parking and restroom availability. Meanwhile, more reliable cell service and internet connections can prove helpful in improving the safety of visitors and employees by facilitating communication.

There are also provisions designed to create opportunities for more types of outdoor recreation. The Act would increase the number of long-distance bike trails, facilitate safe rock climbing, establish target shooting ranges, and build new campsites. Safeguards are included to ensure that different forms of recreation are available without harming the land or ecosystems—for example, one provision authorizes the inspection and decontamination of boats and other watercraft leaving federal lands and waters. These inspections serve as a frontline defense against the spread of invasive aquatic species, to help protect native ecosystems.

One of the highlights of the Act is the series of provisions relating to accessibility for people with disabilities, military and veterans, youth, and underserved communities. The Access for People with Disabilities section requires the development of new accessible trails and recreation opportunities—