CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. — If you've ever been to Pocahontas State Park in Chesterfield County, you know they've got beautiful trails, great campgrounds, a pool, fun things to do during the summer and the fall, but now there's something that you can do on your own schedule, year-round.
Visitors to Pocahontas State Park in Chesterfield County can now rent kayaks and paddleboards year-round through a new self-serve kiosk program.
The kiosks are located on the 225-acre Swift Creek Lake. The program fills a gap when park staffing is reduced outside of peak season.
"When school goes back our staff is limited and we can't offer our own during the week. So yes, these are available, um, outside of times that we can offer them ourselves," Nathan Clark said.
The process starts by downloading the Whenever Watersports app.
"We've got good service here at Pocahontas in Chesterfield County, of course, um, so you just scan the QR code, run through it, and it shouldn't take more than a few minutes," Clark said.
The app also walks users through basic safety information before they get on the water.
"It's got some videos in there, some kind of basic safety things, um, life jacket, everything's provided for you, so yep, all the bases are covered," Clark said.
Once checked in through the app, visitors scan a QR code next to the lock on their chosen watercraft, disconnect the locking cable, and pull out their kayak. Personal flotation devices and paddles are available in a separate box using the same process. The kayaks are equipped with a wheel to make it easier to pull them to the water.
When finished, the app walks users through how to return the kayak to the rack and gear to the box.
Rental options vary by park, but kiosks may offer single kayaks, tandem kayaks, or stand-up paddleboards.
"Well, right now this kiosk rental program is at 10 state parks. If it does well, it could expand to even more," Cardwell said.
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