RENT THE GEAR. KEEP THE EXPERIENCE.
All the things. That’s what you’d like to own. Because without all the things, you can’t do all the things. Which is what you’d like to do. But here’s the deal: You don’t need to own all the things to do all the things.
Enter the Renter
History tells us the rental industry had its first boon in the post-World War II era. As the homeowner market took off, people needed tools and equipment to build and maintain their houses and businesses and such. Pretty standard stuff.
Since then, the rental industry has kept growing. First, it was furniture. Then TVs, electronics and the like. Now, they’ve broadened their reach into the recreational world. And at Utah’s state parks, you can rent the things to do the things. All the things.
Instant Campsites
If a tree falls in the forest and nobody is around to hear it, does it make a sound? Similarly, if you go camping without any gear, are you really camping? No. You’re just standing there in the wilderness. Like a camping cretin.
But you can rent a lot of the gear you need, in particular the gear in which you sleep. The Utah Division of State Parks and Recreation offers cabins, teepees, yurts, and even wagons for reservation. And if you're more into sleeping above-ground, East Canyon and Red Fleet State Parks have huge structures accommodating up to 10 hammocks. Don't have a hammock? You can rent one from either of these parks.
Cabins. Teepees. Yurts. Hammocks. Wagons. With Utah State Parks, you've got some unique options. Check it out!
Teepee at Red Fleet State Park, Utah.
Water Worlds
You can go swimming at your local rec center or neighborhood pool. What you can’t do there is wakeboard behind a boat, jump wakes on a jet ski or navigate resplendently atop a paddleboard.
But you can do those things at nearly every one of the 24 reservoirs included in Utah’s state parks. And in case you haven’t noticed the running theme, you don’t have to own a boat. Or a jet ski. Or a paddleboard. You can rent it all.
Head to your favorite reservoir’s page on the state park website and you’ll find a rental section with links for all the aquarian action you can handle.
OHVs Pretty Please
Sometimes you feel like getting a little dirty. An OHV ride through one of our state parks ought to do the trick. Take a drive and cover yourself with a light layer of dust (or completely splatter yourself with mud — if you’re into that).
You might be drawn toward the dunes of Sand Hollow or Coral Pink Sand Dunes. Or perhaps you’re more into the wooded trails of Wasatch Mountain (where you can also snowmobile during the winter). Whatever you fancy, there’s an OHV out there waiting for you to rev its engine in a state park. Heck, you can even get a guide to doing all the daring driving if you want.
Just like our water buddies before, all you have to do is visit your state park web page of choice and find the rental section to get the deets.
Zipline De Do Da
Okay, we’ve entered a gray area here. You’re not actually able to rent a zipline at any of Utah’s state parks. But you are able to ride a zipline at a couple of them. And your price of entry includes all the required gear. So there is technically a rental-related aspect involved, yeah?
Deer Creek State Park, in particular, is home to a course that includes multiple lines and bridges. Screaming Falcon, as it’s appropriately called, includes a 3,900+ft zip across Rainbow Bay. It’s the longest zip line ride in the world over a body of water this size.
That ain’t no joke.
You can also find over 1,500 feet of zipline action at Yuba State Park. Not a bad way to spend your day. What are you waiting for? Get renting.