Pedal boats are back at City Park in Denver this week and they come in more shapes than just swans.
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On Wednesday, the city of Denver opened its newest so-called Adventure Hub where visitors can rent gear to enjoy on Ferril Lake. That includes pedal boats shaped like swans, dragons, ducks and flamingos, as well as kayaks, canoes and stand-up paddleboards. If you’d rather pedal on land instead of the water, the hub also has beach cruiser bikes and surrey bikes, which hold up to six people, available for rent.
City Park’s Adventure Hub is the second to open this year, following another at Washington Park in early June. Stephanie Figueroa, spokesperson for Denver Parks and Recreation, said rentals were supposed to start sooner at City Park, but that the electricity powering the point-of-sale system needed to be replaced after a fire at the historic bandshell there.
Water sport rentals cost range from $15 per hour for a SUP or single-person kayak to $35 per hour for swan, dragon and duck pedal boats, which fit up to four people. Bikes are similarly priced at $15 per hour for a single-person beach cruiser up to $45 per hour for a surrey “stretch limousine” for six riders. Figueroa noted that it is a flat fee and not a per-person charge.
“For families, as long as you fit, you can go,” she said, adding that gear is available for rent during the City Park Jazz series this summer.
This year marks the first time in at least two decades that Denver officials have managed gear rentals in City Park. The city ended its longtime contract with vendor Wheel Fun Rentals, which previously supplied things like swan pedal boats, in early 2026 after more than 20 years, Figueroa said.
Denver’s decision to take over operations was both more cost-effective and enabled the city to have more control over the experience, she added. Part of the impetus was a recent initiative called the Outdoor Adventure and Alternative Sports Strategic Plan, which sought to identify how Denver could offer more recreation opportunities to residents.
“That gave us the tools and knowledge to bring this in-house,” Figueroa said. “We have historically been amazing at indoor recreation and now we want to bring more of those opportunities outside.”
The Adventure Hub at City Park is open every day from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., while the one at Washington Park is open every day from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. They are both closed on city-observed holidays.
Another Adventure Hub, currently under construction at Ruby Hill, is expected to open late this year or early next, Figueroa said.
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