Check Out Fun at Gear Library in Glenwood Springs

November 23, 2022

The City of Glenwood Springs Parks and Recreation Gear Library is stocked with everything you need for an outdoor adventure in Colorado’s favorite hot springs town. Check it out!

Outdoor Adventures Accessible to All

Glenwood Springs Parks and Recreation started the Gear Library with the idea that outdoor recreation should be inclusive, accessible and able to be enjoyed by all. There is even an Adaptive Gear Library for people with health conditions or impairments. The Community Center is one of the town’s primary fitness centers offering exercise classes, a swimming pool, climbing wall, ice-skating rink and sports such as tennis, pickleball and basketball. The Gear Library represents another opportunity for members and the public to improve their physical and mental health.

“The Gear Library at the Community Art Center is an innovative addition that lets people experience fun, outdoor activities using quality gear without a prohibitive high-cost buy-in,” Director of Tourism for Glenwood Springs, Lisa Langer said.

Outdoor equipment is easy to reserve. Just visit the Gear Library online to see what’s available and follow the prompts to check out. Gear can be picked up as early as 8 a.m. and must be returned no later than 5 p.m. The cost varies depending on the equipment, but every effort has been made to keep it affordable and accessible to as many individuals as possible.

Gear lending programs have recently been gaining traction across the country, but the idea has been around for decades. According to an article by Lavanya Sunkara in Outside Business Journal, “Gear lending libraries aren’t new to the outdoor industry. The oldest—Appalachian Mountain Club’s Youth Opportunities Program—was established in 1968. Last year, its gear libraries supported 690 outdoor experiences. In recent years, more libraries have cropped up in cities across the country as more people come to realize their dual benefit: helping people overcome the cost barrier to getting outdoors and doing it in a way that’s more sustainable than peddling less expensive, less durable, less sustainable gear.”

New Season, New Gear

As the seasons change, so does the rotation of gear available at Glenwood’s Gear Library. Depending on the time of year, you could check out bird-watching binoculars and spy some of the winged beauties that make the Roaring Fork Valley their home. Try your luck casting for trout on the Colorado or Roaring Fork rivers using either fly or spin fishing rods and accompanying accessories. During the warmer seasons, play on rivers or lakes aboard inflatable kayaks and stand-up paddleboards. Once the snow starts to fall, the Gear Library breaks out sleds for sliding down the hillsides around town and snowshoe rentals that come complete with gaiters and trekking poles.

Outdoor equipment is easy to reserve. Just visit the Gear Library online to see what’s available and follow the prompts to check out. According to the community center’s website, gear can be picked up as early as 8 a.m. and must be returned no later than 5 p.m. The cost varies depending on the equipment, but every effort has been made to keep it affordable and accessible to as many individuals as possible.