ACCESS : THE STATE PARK SYSTEM REACHES OUT TO THE DISABLED TOURIST.

Byline: Carol Bidwell Daily News Staff Writer

Stairs, stairs and more stairs. That's what Camarillo attorney Theresa McConville remembered about Hearst Castle, that fanciful mansion near Cambria, now run as a state monument.

So when she and her family - including 11-year-old Tim, who was in a wheelchair as a result of a leg injury - headed north on vacation several years ago, she didn't have much hope that he'd be able to see the priceless art treasures in the castle's upper reaches, or even be able to reach the mansion's main level.

But with an advance reservation, the McConvilles got special parking, their own private guide to the mansion - and Tim even got to ride in newspaper mogul William Randolph Hearst's private elevator.

``There's no way we could have done this on a regular tour,'' McConville said. ``If you can't walk 300 or so stairs, you can't go. I'm sure there's a whole segment of the disabled community who wouldn't even consider going to Hearst Castle because of the stairs. But there's a way they can do it. We did - and it was great.''

Hearst Castle is just one of many state park facilities that tries to make sure everybody - including people with mobility problems, hearing and sight impairments and other health conditions - enjoys their visit, despite stairs, sand dunes, redwood forests, rocky outcroppings and rugged trails.

Some beaches have walkways along the sand so wheelchairs can roll along them; one forest has a nature trail with points of interest noted in Braille; and one lake has a special dock to accommodate fishermen in wheelchairs.

``These things give people with mobility and other problems access to recreational facilities they wouldn't have otherwise,'' said Steve Horvitz, superintendent of state parks in southeast California.

``Many times, wildlife is pretty inaccessible to people with wheelchairs,'' said Ranger Leander Tamoria, who works at Ano Nuevo Reserve in Northern California. ``But here, with our beach boardwalk, it'll be raining and storming and people will be out there, really having a good time.''

Many special accommodations were available even before the Americans With Disabilities Act became law in 1990, and more are on the way, say parks officials.

``But money is a problem,'' said Denny Stoufer, lifeguard/supervisor at Silver Stand State Beach in San Diego County. ``And I think we could do a better job of letting people know what's available.''

Here are some park facilities that make a special effort to make recreation a treat for people with other disabilities:

Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve, 15 miles west of Lancaster on Avenue I: The eight miles of trails that wind through this 1,745-acre park filled with the springtime color of California poppies are inaccessible by wheelchair. However, a paved path leads from the parking area to the visitors center - which features videos of the poppies, a gift shop, special displays and docent-led lectures on the life cycle of the flowers, which peak mid-March through mid-May, said Mary Lou MacKenzie, park interpretive specialist. Information: [phone].

Ano Nuevo State Reserve, 27 miles south of Half Moon Bay off Highway 1. A van equipped with a wheelchair lift picks up passengers in the parking area of this 4,000-acre beach park that's home to hundreds of seals during the winter. The van drives along a service road nearer to the beach (for able-bodied tourists, it's a 1-1/2-mile hike over rugged territory), where a 1,100-foot-long boardwalk lets wheelchairs roll close to the rocks on which seals perch, said ranger Leander Tamoria. Tours, led by park volunteers, usually last about 2-1/2 hours.

``Often, during breeding season, we'll find seals sitting in the middle of the boardwalk,'' said Tamoria. ``We stay at least 25 feet away from the seals, so if there's a large bull (seal) in the middle of the path, that's where the tour ends.'' Park entrance fee is $5 per person; tours are offered weekends and some Fridays and cost $4. There's no extra charge for wheelchair tours, but reservations are required. Call: [phone].

Calaveras Big Trees State Park, four miles northeast of Arnold (northeast of Stockton), off Highway 4. Several of the 129 campsites in this 6,075-acre park - half in Calaveras County, half in Tuolumne County - are wheelchair-accessible. But the main attraction is a 100-yard-long, hard-packed dirt trail through a section of the redwood forest dubbed a ``whole-access'' or ``three senses'' trail. It's accessible to those in wheelchairs, and forest information signs are available in Braille at several stops along the trail, said ranger Chuck Grennell.

``It's not expressly for sight-impaired people, but they seem to enjoy it,'' Grennell said. ``We encourage people - all people - who visit to use other senses than sight.''

Information: [phone].

Hearst Castle State Historic Monument, off Highway 1 north of San Simeon. The former home of the most powerful man in newspapering contains many steep, narrow staircases. But at least three tours a day (except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day) take visitors with mobility problems on the same introductory tour as able-bodied stair-walkers get, covering the mansion's pools, gardens, guest houses and ground-floor rooms. Sight-impaired visitors are allowed to touch some of the wooden and bronze artworks; brochures are also available in Braille. Hearing-impaired visitors each get a set of headphones that pick up the tour guide's spiel, broadcast from a tiny transmitter on the guide's belt.

``We're trying to make Hearst Castle accessible to everybody who wants to see it,'' said Jim Allen, public relations director. Handicapped visitors catch a wheelchair-accessible tram at the park visitors center and transfer to another tram to reach the mansion's first-floor level. Because some of the mansion's doorways are narrow, wheelchairs must be able to pass through a 28-inch-wide doorway; if a visitor's wheelchair is too wide, park officials will loan a narrower one.

Two-hour Hearst Castle tours cost $14 for adults, $9 for children age 6-12; there is no additional charge for special handicapped tours or for wheelchair use. Reservations for handicapped tours are recommended 10 days in advance. Reservations: [phone].

Salton Sea State Recreation Area, 25 miles east of Indio off Highway 111. The highlight of this 17,913-acre lake/desert park is a handicapped-accessible fishing jetty that can be reached via a concrete path. There's also a visitors center, boat launch ramp, playground and more than 1,600 campsites, several that can be reached via paved pathways, with raised picnic tables so a wheelchair can fit underneath.

``We want to ensure that people who have some difficulty in getting around do have an opportunity to use the Salton Sea,'' said superintendent Horvitz. ``It's rewarding to see them enjoy it. This is a good fishing area; fish jump in your car almost. It's nice that everybody can enjoy it.''

Information: [phone].

Silver Strand State Beach, 4-1/2 miles south of Coronado off Highway 75. The 428-acre park is one of a few throughout the state that offer mobility-impaired visitors a chance to skim over the sand and dangle their feet in the ocean. A ``surf chair'' made of lightweight pipe and soft balloon tires and topped by an umbrella is light enough to push easily along a 5-foot-wide rubber mat from the parking area to the water.

``It's used every day during the summer,'' said Bill Spencer, lifeguard and seasonal beach supervisor. ``We often have two or three people asking about it when someone is using it. We roll 'em out in the water and the waves splash up on them and they're all smiles. If we didn't have this (chair), they'd end up in the parking lot watching everyone else having fun.''

No reservations are required to use the beach wheelchair. Information: [phone].

Similar beach wheelchairs are also available at Torrey Pines State Beach north of Del Mar, San Buenaventura State Beach in Ventura, Carpinteria State Beach south of Santa Barbara and Gaviota State Park west of Santa Barbara. The city of Ventura also has a beach wheelchair available at Harbor Cove Beach at the Ventura Marina.

Chico Creek Nature Center, part of 3,670-acre Bidwell Park, a few blocks from the state-owned Bidwell Mansion State Historic Park, in the Central California town of Chico. The city-owned park recently opened a half-mile-long, handicapped-accessible nature path with viewing decks and railings to keep wheelchairs on the right route. The trail sits on 37 acres that was once a tree nursery started by California pioneer John Bidwell.

``It's called the World of Trees Nature Trail,'' said Judy White, director of the park's nature center. ``The trees here were experimental and are over 100 years old. You can go along the trail and see trees from all over the world.''

Information: [phone].

On Location

To learn more about facilities for mobility-impaired and other disabled travelers at California parks, pick up a copy of the ``Official Guide to California State Parks,'' a fold-out map that details each park's location and facilities. The maps, which cost $2, are available at most state parks. To receive a copy by mail, write to: California State Parks Store, P.O. Box 942896, Sacramento, Calif. 94296-0001, or call [phone].

Handicapped travelers - people with mobility, cardiovascular, respiratory or neurological disorders, who have trouble seeing, hearing or speaking, or the developmentally disabled - can qualify for a Disabled Discount Pass. The annual pass, which costs $3.50, gives the cardholder a 50 percent discount for park facility use fees over $3, including day use parking, camping and boat use at any facility operated by the state Department of Parks. The only facility the card cannot be used at is Hearst Castle.

To apply for a discount pass, write: Department of Parks and Recreation, Disabled Discount Pass Program, P.O. Box 942896, Sacramento, Calif. 94296-0001.

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Jon Gerung/Daily News

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