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Quantico Outdoor Adventures on Russell Road, next to the Quantico Game Check Station, rents kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards at discounted rates to Marines and their families. Quantico Outdoor Adventures, which is operated by Marine Corps Community Services, had its soft opening Mar. 17.

Photo by Adele Uphaus-Conner

Kayaks, paddle boards, mountain bikes now available to rent from new Quantico Outdoor Adventures Center

31 Mar 2016 | Adele Uphaus-Conner Marine Corps Base Quantico

Since Lunga Reservoir closed for munitions clean-up three years ago, there has been no place aboard Marine Corps Base Quantico for Marines to rent recreational equipment — until now.

Quantico Outdoor Adventures, located across the street from the Game Check Station near the Russell Knox Building, opened quietly on St. Patrick’s Day and will celebrate its grand opening April 21. It rents kayaks, paddle boards, and mountain bikes to Marines and eligible Department of Defense employees and their families.

Operated by Marine Corps Community Services, its mission statement is “to provide outdoor recreation opportunities of the highest-quality to our military community” and “to empower individuals and families to grow physically, mentally and spiritually all the while enhancing their quality of life and developing a stewardship towards the outdoors.”

“We’re trying to take care of our Marines and their families,” manager Chadwick Wells said. “Recreation takes away from the everyday stress of a military lifestyle. Here at Quantico, there’s lots of studying and it can be very stressful and isolating. Recreation helps build community.”

Patrons can rent the equipment, which comes with all the needed accessories, for half-day, full-day, two-day, Liberty weekend (Monday-Thursday or Friday-Sunday), and week-long periods. Prices are specially set to be feasible for Marines on a budget.

“At Ocean City or places like that, you pay $60 to rent a kayak for four hours,” Wells said. “Here, it’s $25 for a day.”

The rates are package deals that include all the needed accessories. Paddleboard and kayak rentals come with paddles and life jackets. Child-sized life jackets are available so that families can enjoy time on the water together. Mountain bike rentals come with a helmet, mini pump, and saddle bag. You can rent a bike rack to attach to your car or a tie-down strap for securing a boat.

The facility also provides information about recreational opportunities in the area.

“We’ll give you suggestions of places to go. We’re trying to make it easy for you to get out and enjoy your weekend,” Wells said.

Wells studied outdoor experiential programming and has run recreation programs at Camp Lejeune and for the Coast Guard in Alaska for the past five years. He said that he hopes to start programming for families and units in the summer. He’d like to hold classes and group outings and partner with local outdoor groups.

“My vision is to be able to provide camping, water sports equipment — any of the outdoor activities,” he said.

“Providing recreational activities to the Marine Corps is something I’ve become passionate about,” he said.

— Writer: auphausconner@quanticosentryonline.com
Marine Corps Base Quantico