The future of outdoor gyms looks less like Muscle Beach and more like… Grants Pass, Oregon.
What’s happening: BeaverFit, a manufacturer specializing in rugged outdoor equipment, broke ground on a custom buildout for Oregon gym Club Northwest. When completed at the end of the year, it’ll be among the nation’s largest open-air, covered training spaces.
Its sprawling features make it BeaverFit’s most ambitious commercial project to date:
- 70’x36’ all-weather shelter (with skylights for natural light)
- 30’ custom modular rig, with squat racks, 12’ bouldering wall, gear locker, and more
- 1K square feet of turf surface
Why it matters: Club Northwest contracted BeaverFit after its makeshift outside space remained highly popular with members long after COVID lockdowns.
Not an outlier, the pandemic stoked a sustained, nationwide outdoor fitness demand that far outstrips supply. Before finding BeaverFit, Club Northwest director of people & programming Jesse Sallas expressed how the market was lagging:
“After looking at other companies and their outdoor solutions, we soon realized the industry was behind in being able to provide what we really wanted.”
Behind the trend: Outdoor gyms meet the needs of consumers in more ways than one, combining the mental health benefits of outdoor activity with a sustained interest in strength and performance training.
Looking ahead: It’s early days still, but as consumers seek out unique, holistic experiences, gyms will need to think outside the big-box.
