The state of Alabama has many outdoor activities to offer, and students can take full advantage of all this state has to offer through the Outdoor Recreation Center.

Many students are not aware of the Outdoor Rec and all that it can offer to them, said Cameron Butler, a senior majoring in political science. Butler is the student manager at the rental center.

“Time and time again we hear, ‘Man I’ve been here for four years and I never knew this place existed,’” Butler said. “We want to get the word out to the student population to let them know that we do exist and we have a great deal to offer.”

The Outdoor Rec is located within the Student Recreation Center and offers a rental center, bike shop and a climbing gym.

Toffer Mohr, a junior majoring in mechanical engineering and an Outdoor Rec bike shop mechanic, described the Outdoor Rec as “a way to get students out and doing more outdoor things.”

The rental shop allows students to rent any gear they might need to enjoy the great outdoors from sleeping bags and tents to canoes and kayaks.

The bike shop is open for students to rent bikes to ride around campus or mountain bikes for trips. Butler said the shop rents out four types of bikes: Bama bikes, Bamboo bikes, road bikes and mountain bikes.

The bike shop is also a full service bike shop that allows students to get their bikes repaired quickly on campus.

“Our prices are competitive with the shops around town but we’re running it a little bit lower,” Mohr said.

Besides a rental and bike shop, the Outdoor Rec also includes a climbing wall located in the back of the Rec Center. The wall is open during the week during normal business hours for students to train or climb for fun.

The Outdoor Rec also plans numerous day and weekend trips throughout the semester for students to get out and try new things. Trips include whitewater kayaking, caving, backpacking and mountain bike rides.