Delta County's Pioneer Trail Park will be the first in the Upper Peninsula to install a third-party kayak rental kiosk system from Rent.Fun, a company that operates self-service outdoor recreation rental kiosks. (Photo courtesy of Rent.fun)

ESCANABA — Delta County will soon expand water-based recreation at Pioneer Trail Park with the addition of a kayak kiosk system through Rent.Fun — the first of its kind in the Upper Peninsula.

The Delta County Board of Commissioners recently approved a proposal from Heather LeDuc, manager of the Delta County Parks and Recreation department, to install a third-party kayak rental kiosk system from Rent.Fun, a company that operates self-service outdoor recreation rental kiosks.

The proposed eight-unit kiosk, which would be installed at Pioneer Trail Park along the Escanaba River, would include kayaks, paddles and life jackets, with the option to also include paddleboards.

LeDuc told the commissioners the project would provide residents and visitors with a low-barrier recreational opportunity while requiring little maintenance or liability responsibility from the county.

“Basically, (Rent.Fun) would come and they would do all the work, all the maintenance. They’d set it up at the park, and it’s like a lease,” LeDuc said.

Users can rent from the kiosk for hours at a time and even purchase an unlimited annual rental membership with Rent.Fun to be used at any of their locations across the country.

According to LeDuc, the kiosk system would normally cost $35,000, though she said she negotiated the price down to $33,000. After accounting for grant funding opportunities and reimbursements, she said the minimum upfront cost could be about $15,000 from the Delta County Parks fund balance.

LeDuc also said Delta County Parks would receive 30 percent of the profits generated by kiosk users, with those revenues going back into the parks fund to help reimburse the cost of the kiosks.

“I like the idea that you’re going to take the proceeds — the profit that you get — and pay back the fund,” Commissioner Christine Williams told LeDuc.

For users who purchase an annual Rent.Fun subscription and use the kiosk in Delta County, Delta County Parks will receive $3 per use. If members register through the Delta County kiosk but use their membership at other Rent.Fun locations, Delta County Parks will receive $2 per use, according to Leduc.

A full list of Rent.Fun locations can be found on their website, https://www.rent.fun/.

If the kiosk requires maintenance or repairs, LeDuc told commissioners that Rent.Fun would hire local contractors to service the equipment at Pioneer Trail Park and to remove the kiosk and its equipment at the end of the season.

Additionally, LeDuc said water access was identified as the number two priority from the community in the county’s five-year recreation plan.

“(Kayakers) are starting to get out, and with that, Pioneer Trail Park is uniquely positioned along the Escanaba River just upstream from the mouth, so it’s an ideal location to expand our water-based recreation opportunities.”

According to Rent.Fun, users can rent equipment by first downloading the Rent.Fun app and creating an account, a process that takes about 30 seconds. LeDuc noted users will sign waivers with Rent.Fun, as well.

Once registered, renters can scan the QR code at the kiosk station to unlock a kayak or paddleboard, with paddles and life jackets included.

After enjoying time out on the water, renters return the equipment to the station, select “Unlock” in the app to dock it, then choose “End Rental” and submit a photo of the returned equipment.

A timeline for the installation of the kiosks has not yet been publicly announced.

“As the county grows as a destination within the U.P., this is a great opportunity for us to align with that vision,” LeDuc said.

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Sophie Vogelmann can be reached at 906-786-2021 or svogelmann@dailypress.net.