Self-serve kayak sharing system means more Minnesotans can paddle the Mississippi

This time of year, cabin fever has Minnesotans busting at the seams to get outside. Fresh air

can do wonders after a long winter. For Devin Brown, nature and specifically the Mississippi

River, has a special power.

“The river is my church, she’s my therapist and she’s way cheaper than therapy,” said Brown,

who is the community programs director for the Mississippi Park Connection. She moved to the

Twin Cities from New Jersey more than a decade ago, specifically for the river.

“I found peace and calm and myself on the Mississippi River,” said Brown. “It is my goal and

objective to connect everyone and especially those who look like us to paddling on the

Mississippi.”

A common misconception about kayaking is that it’s only for experienced outdoor types and

requires a lot of things: a boat, paddles, a vehicle to carry the kayak and strength to lug it to the

river and back.

Paddle Share, owned by Mississippi Park Connection (MPC), in partnership with the

National Park Service and other local landowners and organizations, is a collaborative

program designed to increase opportunities for people to get out on the Mississippi River,

which passes through the Twin Cities, but is rarely used for recreation. The folks at Paddle

Share recognized this discrepancy and developed a one-way kayak rental system. You simply go

to the website, paddleshare.org, select your route and then go to the rental location using the

access code you receive online. That code opens a designated locker with a kayak, paddle and

life jacket.

“The great thing about kayaking is that it brings you right on the water where you can feel the

power of the Mississippi River without getting wet and I think that’s the goal, to still look fly and

also embrace nature.

The program is prompting more paddlers and groups to enjoy the Mississippi together through

community paddle events Brown hosts throughout the spring and summer.

“There’s nothing that gives me more joy than the paddles I do with community, but especially

with Black women, smelling cocoa butter, listening to some good music and just vibing out on

the river.”

Paddle Share offers self-service kayak stations along the Mississippi River at Gateway Regional

Park, River Park, North Mississippi Regional Park, Bohemian Flats Park in Minneapolis and

Pickerel Lake in St. Paul.

“If you’re afraid of getting on the river yourself, then come with me!” Brown said.

Her community paddle schedule is available for booking starting May 22 on the Paddle Share

website. New this year is a season pass for $200, which gets you access to kayaks from May 23

to Oct. 31. “After six paddles, the pass pays for itself,” Brown added.

Start making your paddle plans today. Learn more at: www.paddleshare.org