Kayak Pittsburgh to open kayak rentals in Sharpsburg

Sharpsburg borough council unanimously approved a kayak concession rental recently at the James Sharp Landing.

The outdoors nonprofit Venture Outdoors will locate a Kayak Pittsburgh rental site for a one-year pilot program.

Sharpsburg Mayor, Brittany Reno said she was excited that residents would have the opportunity to kayak the Allegheny River from a borough site.

The pilot program includes kayak and fishing rentals five days a week as well as programs for local children, seniors and the general public, said Valerie Beichner, president, and CEO of Venture Outdoors.

Programs will include Sunrise Paddles; Twilight Paddles; Mature Monday Paddles; Trianglers Fishing; Beginner Paddles and more.

Sharpsburg residents will receive a 15% discount on all rentals.

Details on opening day and operating hours are forthcoming.

The pilot program provides Venture Outdoors the opportunity to partner with the Sharpsburg community and to connect people to outdoors experiences, Beichner said.

“This location also allows participants to access the Pittsburgh pool of the Allegheny River, where Kayak Pittsburgh has operated for more than a decade,” she said.

After five years, Venture Outdoors closed its kayak rental site at Aspinwall Riverfront Park last year because they weren’t getting enough traffic, officials from the nonprofit said at that time.

The closure of the Aspinwall facility is not related to the new pilot program in Sharpsburg, Beichner said.

Kayak Pittsburgh is in the process of relocating its Pittsburgh rental site to the Pittsburgh Conventions Center.

The Roberto Clemente Bridge project closed the concession site under the bridge where it has been located for 17 years.

Venture Pittsburgh was founded in 2001. The organization’s staff and volunteers typically lead more than 900 trips with thousands of participants.