Rocktown Adventures 313 N. Madison St., Rockford, IL
Reuse. Recycle. Repurpose.
Words that resonate with Earth Day. They also resonate with our personal ethos. Our building was vacant for a few years. The previous commercial use of the building was a printing company. We repurposed the space into an Outdoor Store, helping people Gear Up Head Out and enjoy the recreational assets we have in the Stateline Area.
Are you looking to get outside more but do not want to purchase new equipment?
Join us April 19that our downtown Rockford location for our Outdoor Gear Yard Sale. Time to find a new home for some used gear. We will have kayaks, paddles, and camping gear along with discounts on apparel, hiking shoes, and select camping and hiking gear. Plus whatever we can find hiding in various nooks and crannies of the store and warehouse.
Festivities will take place in the grass lot next to the store from 1PM – 5PM.
In the event of inclement weather, we will have gear staged in our warehouse. Bring your friends. Bring your family. Bring your appreciation for the outdoors and the environment. There is some gear looking to create some new memorable outdoor experiences with someone.
Do you enjoy hiking? If you do, we have an event for you!
The Oboz Trails for Trees Challenge. Since Oboz’s very first pair of hiking boots were sold back in 2007, they’ve been planting trees for every pair sold.
Now, about this friendly challenge that plants trees:
You’re invited to hike as many trails as you can in the entire month of April. The more you hike, the more trees you will plant, and the more chances you have to win prizes. The Oboz Trails for Trees Challenge is not about how far or fast you can go; it’s about how often. Just choose any trail one mile or longer, record it on your tracking device, and you’ll plant one tree with each segment logged. You don’t have to hike Mt. Kilimanjaro to participate. Your trail can be the sidewalk outside your front door or a path less traveled. The point is to get outside and get moving! And cover at least one mile.
Not only does a tree get planted for every hike, but each hike gives you an entry into the weekly giveaways. The more you hike each week, the more chances you get to win one of the giveaways from Oboz and their Challenge Partners.
General registration is open now. The Challenge begins April 1 & ends April 30.
Need some new kicks for your hiking adventures? Show us a copy of your registration and get 15% off a pair of new Oboz Hiking Shoes. We also have some select models on sale at 20–40% off!
For more information on how can have some fun hiking and helping the environment, pleaseclick here. Registration is required. You will have to download a tracking app to monitor your progress. Please contact us if you have any questions about this event. Stop by the store, give us a call at 815-636-9066, or send us an email at info@rocktownadventures.com. Get Outside! Bring the kids!
We can help you scratch it and keep some “scratch” in your pocket with our Winter Clearance Sale. Save 50% on all winter apparel and 20% on all winter hiking boots, snowshoes, and cross-country ski equipment through the month of February.
From active pursuits like running and skiing to more sedentary activities like walking or just looking good around town. From trail to tavern, and all places in between. We have you covered with premium apparel and equipment that will enhance your outdoor experiences. At the end of the day, our goal is to help you enjoy your time outdoors, which hopefully makes you Head Out more often!
Sale is good in-store or online. Please use code winter50 when shopping online for apparel and code snow20 when shopping online for hiking boots, snowshoes, or ski equipment.
The breadth of knowledge and assortment of equipment all under one roof makes visiting a trade show a one-stop shop for your needs
The breadth of knowledge and assortment of equipment all under one roof makes visiting a trade show a one-stop shop for your needs. Rocktown Adventures will exhibit at two fishing shows this winter. You can find everything “FISHING” at both shows, plus there is fun for the whole family!
Chicagoland Sports, Travel & Outdoor Expo
Join us at the Chicagoland Sports, Travel, & Outdoor Expo for the latest and greatest in gear, expert advice from pro anglers, and lodges and resorts to entice you to get away. Chicago’s largest all fishing show takes place January 23 – 26 at the Schaumburg Convention Center. Anything and everything fishing is all under one roof! We will be at booth 423, a new location this year. On display will be kayaks from NuCanoe, Old Town, Crescent, Native Watercraft, and Bonafide, paddles from Bending Branches, outfitting accessories and more! For show details, hours, and tickets, please visit the CFTO show website.
Wisconsin Fishing Expo
Does January not fit into your schedule? No worries as we have another show at the end of February. The Wisconsin Fishing Expo, the largest consumer fishing show in the Midwest with 20,000 attendees visiting the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, WI, takes place Feb 21 – Feb 23. This annual event promotes the sport of fishing to enthusiasts of all ages, with a portion of the proceeds benefitting fishing enhancement projects throughout the state of Wisconsin. Most of us get a line wet in Wisconsin, so your ticket is actually helping you fish! 😊 On display will be kayaks from NuCanoe, Old Town, Crescent, Native Watercraft, and Bonafide, paddles from Bending Branches, outfitting accessories, and more! For show details, hours, and tickets, please visit the Wisconsin Fishing Expo website.
Show Specials:
Kayaks
Put 50% down on a kayak, with the remaining 50% paid at time of pick up. You can spread out the second 50% payment in smaller installments. In addition to a layaway option, save on your new kayak with $100 off all kayaks $1000 and under, $150 on all kayaks up to $2000, and $200 on all kayaks over $2000. We also have selected recreational and fishing kayaks at 15% – 20% off. (These kayaks are exempt from the Show Special discount)
All kayaks on layaway must be paid in full and picked up by April 30, 2025.
NRS Chinook PFDs and Paddle Clothing
Save 15% on the best Fishing PFD out there and on all NRS paddling apparel such as gloves, splash jackets, paddling pants, and boots.
Bending Branches Paddles
Save 15% on all Bending Branches kayak fishing paddles. Don’t underestimate the importance of a good paddle! You know the saying….up $hits creek without a paddle.
Kayak Fishing Accessories
Save 15% on all accessories. Outfit your kayak to meet YOUR kayak fishing needs with best-in-class accessories from Yak Attack, DuBros Fishing, and Yak Gadget.
If you have any questions about these shows, or kayak fishing in general, please feel free to contact us at 815-636-9066, send an email to info@rocktownadventures.com, or send us a message on social media. Hope to see you in Schaumburg at the end of January or Madison at the end of February.
Make your list, check it twice, then visit us at Rocktown Adventures and get something nice! On land, water, or snow, we have you covered from head to toe! Details on how we can make your holidays merrier are below. Not sure what to get the outdoor enthusiast on your list? We are here to help you get a gift that will put a smile on their face. We use the gear we sell ourselves, so you get real advice based on own experience
#OptOutside Hike – November 29
This has become a great annual tradition at Rocktown Adventures. Each year we choose to Opt Out of the chaos of Black Friday and take a nice relaxing hike with friends and family instead. After what we do to ourselves at the table the day before, it is greatly needed! Plus, we like to take our holidays one at a time. Let the turkey digest before we move on to the holidays.
This year’s iteration of #OptOutside will be at Rock Cut State Park. We will meet outside the Outdoor Store at 10:30 AM, then enjoy a casual hike around Pierce Lake. Length of the hike is 4 miles, and we will have to cross a shallow creek.
Kids are not only welcome, but they are also encouraged to attend! Four legged friends as well! There is no charge to join this activity. In fact, we are going to give you something for deciding to Opt Out! All participants will receive a coupon for $10 off any apparel purchase of $50 or more. This coupon is in addition to our Holiday Sale, which you can see below! It helps to have a head count, so we ask you to please register if you are going to join us. You can register online at https://bit.ly/32sc6WW, in store, or give us a call at 815-636-9066
Holiday Specials – November 16–December 24
If you like the outdoors or have someone on your list that enjoys their time outside, Rocktown Adventures is the place to go for your holiday shopping. We have something for the camper, hiker, paddler, winter enthusiast, and back yard lounger on your list.
Our Holiday Sale starts Saturday, November 16 and runs until December 24. During this time, save 25% on everything in store excluding kayaks and motors. We also have select kayaks on sale and used kayaks and camping gear looking to help someone enjoy the outdoors. Please use code HOLIDAY25 when shopping online.
Not sure what to get the Outdoor Enthusiast on your list from all the awesome things we have for the outdoors? Let them decide for themselves with a gift card. Thru December 24th we are adding 10% to all gift card purchases up to a $250 card.
Give the gift of the outdoors this season. Make someone’s life story memorable. Help them enjoy the outdoors. If you are downtown for #strollonstate on November 30, make sure to stop by for the best view of the fireworks!
Time to move out the old so we can bring in the new!
Now is a great time to be in the market for a kayak. While supplies last you can find select 2024 model year and earlier kayaks on sale at 15%-20% off. Top of the line quality kayaks at these prices do not come along often. Take advantage of the savings while we have them in stock. Make new outdoor memories in one of these kayaks:
Bonafide P127 | Regular Price $3099, Sale Price $2635
In addition to new kayaks on sale, we have some rentals and demos for sale. We do offer a layaway option as well. Put 50% down, pay off the balance within 90 days, and come get your new kayak! Please give us a call or stop by the store if you have any questions or want to see how we can help you Gear Up. Head Out.
We opened our doors on November 1, 2014. I remember the week leading up to our opening well. Which is kind of surprising since I have three teenagers and can barely remember what day of the week it is! Due to circumstances out of our control, we had 4 days to turn a vacant former printing shop into an outdoor store. 15-hour days moving displays, fixtures, racks, product, and kayaks, all while battling the flu. Our team of 3 dedicated outdoor enthusiasts pulled it off. First world problem for sure. We are lucky to be able to do what we do for a living. It is the result of our customers support that we can paddle, hike, camp, ski, snowshoe, and appreciate all that the outdoors offers.
We’ve been fortunate enough to have many avid outdoor enthusiasts come into our community that were willing and more than able to take their love of the Outdoors and use it to help our customers find theirs. We can’t be in three places at once, and without their help we would not be where we are today, celebrating 10! The biggest compliment I can pay someone is that I would enjoy sitting at bar, sipping a beverage, having a conversation with them. I can say I would do that with everyone that has helped us with paddling, skiing, or camping events over the last decade. That is something I greatly appreciate and do not take for granted.
To our customers, thank you for trusting us with your free time and entertainment income. We do not take this responsibility lightly. It is why after every outdoor event we hold we ask if everyone had fun and learned something. Over the years the biggest reward from our efforts is when we hear people on the water or on the trail, that did not know each other an hour ago, talking, laughing, and having a great time. We sell fun for a living at the end of the day, and hearing customers have fun and embracing an active outdoor lifestyle is why we do what we do. In addition to being a retail store, we seek to establish a community of outdoor enthusiasts that embrace the benefits of an active outdoor lifestyle. Thank you again for giving us the opportunity to help you have fun outdoors.
Please come by and visit the store as we celebrate turning 10 November 2nd and 3rd. Let us “buy” you a burger and a beer! We will have great deals on premium outdoor gear and apparel that help you enjoy your time outdoors, and a couple of other things going on. It has been a great 10 years. We look forward to the opportunity to continue helping people embrace the outdoors and realize all the benefits that come with it for the next 10 years. Thanks and be well!
School is back in session which means one thing – fall is coming – and with it the best paddling weather of the year!
A little cooler, crisper, and more colorful. Sign up for a trip during our Fall Paddling Series to enhance your skills, meet like-minded people, and enjoy some time on the water!
This is a 10 mile paddle. Relatively benign current and few obstacles to contend with. If you have not paddled this stretch of the Rock, you need to join us. We have not done this trip for quite some time. Looking forward to the high limestone cliffs along the route!
A 6-mile paddle with switchbacks and trees to maneuver around. The obstacles add to the fun, but as is always the case with the outdoors, obstacles also present challenges. As such, this is NOT a paddle for first time paddlers. Please contact us if you have any questions about kayak skills needed to paddle the Sugar. Admittedly we are overly safety conscious. You do not need to be an expert paddler to do this trip. But you need to be able to control your kayak around trees and through a tight space now and then.
Join us as we paddle the Fox River near Fox River Shores Forest Preserve accompanied by a Naturalist from Kane County Forest Preserve. We are Recreationalists, not Naturalists, so having someone explain the ecological significance of certain parts of the Fox River is a treat. Kane County Forest handles all registration for this experience. Please call 630-444-3190 or email programs@kaneforest.com for more info or to register.
Do not let the name Creek fool you. It did us! The Turtle offers great paddling. For this trip we launch at the I40 launch and take out at Sweet Allyn Park, which is conveniently located right behind the Shopiere Tap. This 5 mile paddle encompasses a rural landscape with little in the way of development. An added bonus is paddling beneath the Tiffany Bridge, a historic, hand-built, 5-arch limestone railroad bridge and one of the most photographed historic icons in Rock County.
A 7.2 mile paddle tracing the route Fur Trader’s used back when the Rock River acted like a commerce highway. We launch in downtown Beloit and take out at the Rockton Boat Ramp behind Hononegah High School. There is a portage required at the Rockton Dam. 50 feet of walking and we are back in the water.
Join us during the best paddling weather of the season as we explore our area’s waterways for our Fall Paddle Series. Please give us a call if you have any questions on these trips or about how to properly dress for cold weather paddling.
Celebrate Summer and the Great Outdoors during our Summer Savings Event! Good gear leads to good experiences and we have gear to help you create awesome outdoor memories.
–20% off NRS products including Inflatable SUPs and PFDs
–40% off all Summer Apparel from Outdoor Research, prAna, Ex Officio
–40% off all Oboz Hiking Shoes
–40% off all Tents, Sleeping Bags, and Camp Furniture
Plus discounts on select kayaks listed below:
(Click each title for more info)
Bonafide P127 | Regular Price $3099, Sale Price $2635
A year ago, when writing a post about our summer sale, we were lamenting the LACK of rain. Mother Nature sure is making up for last summer! Regardless of the type of weather you prefer, get your dose of Summer Fun during our Swing Into Summer Sale, from July 19–31, 2024.
You don’t want to miss out on great prices on great outdoor gear & apparel!
Discounts are good for in-stock merchandise only. We do have a wide selection of items available for sale. This is not 5 items on sale and the rest at full price. Lots of Oboz looking for a pair of feet and camp furniture looking to be a seat.
What you wear and use when enjoying the outdoors matters, so treat yourself during our Swing Into Summer Sale July 19-31.
