A Wonderful Day on the Beach!

Maria and Frankie enjoying the beach

with Nature Tracks!

Located along the dramatic Santa Cruz coastline, Natural Bridges State Beach has long been celebrated for its ocean-carved mudstone arches, protected monarch butterfly grove, and sweeping Pacific views. Established as a state park in 1933, the 65-acre preserve offers one of Northern California’s most vibrant coastal ecosystems. Yet, for all its beauty, the park’s deep, shifting sand historically posed a formidable barrier for visitors with physical disabilities.

That challenge met a creative solution through NatureTrack, a Southern California non-profit organization founded in 2011 to eliminate environmental barriers in the outdoors. Through their specialized initiative, NatureTrack utilizes Freedom Trax—a battery-powered, tank-like track system designed to clamp beneath a participant's own wheelchair. Operated via a simple joystick, the technology empowers individuals with mobility devices to independently traverse sand, mud, and rugged terrain.

What a great time we had last Sunday at Natural Bridges beach near Santa Cruz! The clouds couldn’t keep away the smiles on everyone’s faces when they were on the sand in their wheelchairs. Thank you to Nature Track, who traveled from Southern California to outfit wheelchairs with specialized track systems. Their support allowed participants to use their joysticks to roll directly onto the beach. Check out the slideshow and video below!