Where to Rent Winter Gear in Grand Rapids

Downhill Skiing

Three area ski resorts rent downhill gear for use on their slopes:

• Cannonsburg Ski Area, which features 21 runs and nine lifts just 15 minutes from downtown Grand Rapids, rents skis for $30.
• Bittersweet Ski Resort, about 40 minutes from downtown GR, offers 20 runs and a 350-ft. vertical drop. Ski rentals range from $37-$42.
• Mulligan’s Hollow, a lakeshore resort 40 minutes from downtown, is home to six slopes and rents skis for $12-$18.

You can also rent a complete downhill ski set ($40/day, $90/3 days, $200/week) at Bill & Paul’s Sporthaus – and use the skis at whichever resort(s) you please. Prices are lower if you need rental skis only.

Cross-Country Skiing

Bill & Paul’s Sporthaus rents a cross-country ski set ($22/day, $50/3 days or $90/week) you can take with you throughout the region. Alternatively, these sites offer rentals for use on their trails:

• Palmer Park offers three groomed cross-country trails of roughly two miles each. You can rent skis at the adjacent Kaufman Golf Course – $10 for adults, $8 for kids age 17 and younger, $30 for a family of up to five.
• Pigeon Creek Park features three miles of groomed trails for both classic and skate skiing. Ski rental is $8/3 hours and $2 per additional hour.
• Muskegon Luge Adventure Sports Park is home to more than nine miles of trails catering to all levels of skiers. Ski rental is $8/day.

Snowboarding

Rent snowboards and helmets for use at Cannonsburg Ski Area ($30 + $15), Bittersweet Ski Resort ($40 + $10) and Mulligan’s Hollow ($12-$18 for snowboards only).

Snowtubing

The expanding tubing lanes at Cannonsburg Ski Area are serviced by a “magic carpet” that brings you back up the hill to ensure you get maximum laps. Tube rentals are included with admission, which is $18 on weekdays and $23 on weekdays and holidays. You must make online reservations here.

Snowshoes

Freedom Paddle Company rents snowshoes for use in parks and nature centers across the region. The normal rental fee is $35 for up to eight hours of use, but specials are sometimes available – including a Valentine’s Day Snowshoe Rental for two that includes your gear, a sticker pack, a box of baked goods and an itinerary for $65.

You can also rent snowshoes at:

• Blandford Nature Center, for use on their ungroomed trails through woods and meadows. Non-member fee is $12 for adults and $7 for children.
• Cannonsburg Ski Area, with its 11 miles of trails over a variety of terrain, rents snowshoes at $15 for the first hour and $10 for every additional hour.
• Hemlock Crossing Nature Center rents snowshoes ($8 for 3 hours, $2 per additional hour) for use on more than six miles of trails. Snowshoe rentals are free for children aged 6 and under with a paid adult rental.
• Indian Trails Golf Course transforms into a winter sports park in cold weather and offers $3 snowshoe rentals.
• Pigeon Creek Park offers the same snowshoe rental rates as their ski rental rates ($8 for three hours and $2 extra per additional hour) and more than 10 miles of trails. Snowshoe rentals are free for children aged 6 and under with a paid adult rental.
• Muskegon Luge Adventure Sports Park rents “feather” snowshoes for $8/day, making it easy and affordable to explore four different loops with breathtaking view of Lake Michigan, Muskegon Lake and a white pine forest canopy.

Ice Skating

If you enjoy skating outdoors, Rosa Parks Circle is the perfect spot. Skates are included in the $4 admission fee for adults and $2 for anyone 17 and under. You can rent skates and skate indoors at:

• Griff’s IceHouse and Griff’s Georgetown are owned and operated by the Grand Rapids Griffins hockey team. Admission fee includes skate rental – $10 for Open Skate at IceHouse and Georgetown and $5 for Lunch Skate (Tuesday and Friday) at IceHouse.
• Walker Ice & Fitness Center – skate rental and admission is $10 during public Open Skate sessions.
• Patterson Ice Center – $10 Open Skate admission fee includes skate rental.
• Southside Ice Arena – skate rental is $2 (on top of admission) during Open Skate.
• Cedar Rock Sports Plex – $5 skate rental on top of admission.

Muskegon Luge Adventure Sports Park rents both figure and hockey skates for $8/day. (Hockey sticks and helmets can be rented for $3 and $1, respectively.) The natural ice rink is big enough to accommodate both family skating and playing hockey, while a ¼-mile figure-eight skating loop traverses through white pine forest.