Coronavirus shut-ins are being invited to try a socially-distant outdoor activity — at a new kayak-rental station in Cottage Grove.
The city recently granted a permit to iPaddlePort.com, a rental company, to operate rental lockers at Hazen P. Mooers Park on Grey Cloud Island.
The rental lockers are similar to other iPaddlePort facilities added recently along the Mississippi River in the metro area.
Would-be paddlers sign on to the website to reserve kayaks in one-hour increments — $10 hourly for a one-person kayak, $15 for a double. Paddlers punch in a code into keypads at the site, then remove a kayak, life jacket and paddle from a locker.
The location at the Cottage Grove park is designed for round-trip use — unlike most of the other sites which require users to paddle downstream to a separate storage locker site.