The Trail of Lights Accessibility Depot provides the opportunity for elderly, disabled and mobility challenged individuals to enjoy the Trail through golf cart rides and wheel chair rides. The Accessibility Depot is located by the Polo Field parking lot (which has 40 handicapped parking spaces). It costs $15 per vehicle to park in the Polo Field. Customers do not need to make a reservation. To use our services, simply come to the Depot (it is a large white tent near the tree, facing Barton Springs Road.)

Customers may:
Take a golf cart ride with their friends/family through the Trail. This ride is non-stop, and takes about 40 minutes. The last golf cart leaves the Accessibility Depot at 9:20 pm. Have a volunteer push them through the Trail in a wheel chair. Using a wheel chair will allow the customer to stop at the entertainment stages, Santa’s House, get drinks and food, etc. There is no time limit on using a wheelchair, except that all wheelchairs must be returned to the Accessibility Depot by 10 pm. The last wheelchair will be checked out at 9 pm. A family / friend may choose to push the wheel chair themselves. If so, we will exchange a driver’s license for the wheel chair checkout. The wheelchair use is free. All wheel chairs must be returned to the Accessibility Depot by 10 pm. We will also have wheel chairs and volunteers stationed at the front entrance of the Trail of Lights. If a customer rides the Cap Metro bus and needs to use a wheel chair for the Trail, they will not need to walk down to the Accessibility Tent.

We do not take reservations. This is first-come, first serve. For inquiries, please call Danita Nelson at 974-3651, or email

To Volunteer for the Accessibility Depot:
We need up to 16 volunteers each night to work from 5:15 pm - 10:15 pm.

Volunteer assistance is needed to:
- Push a customer through the Trail in a wheel chairs
- ID collection: some family / friends want to push the wheel chairs, so we keep their ID to assure they return the chair
- Greeters & first come/first serve numbers: we had people numbers so that the flow is easy to control
- Survey collection: we distribute surveys to evaluate the Trail Accessibility Depot experience.

To sign up as a volunteer, please call Mary Ann Vaca-Lambert at 478-6222, or email

Success Story: In 2007, the first annual Trail of Lights Accessibility Depot served 1277 disabled customers and their friends/family. The Accessibility Depot Committee received a 2008 Austin Access Award from the Mayor’s Committee for People with Disabilities. Over 120 volunteers and city employees manned the Depot for a run of fifteen nights. This year, we hope to increase our service to more customers, so that anyone wanting to share the holiday spirit with their friends and family may have access!