On Walkabout At: The Bass Pro Shop In Colorado Springs, Colorado

Basic Information

• What: Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World
• Where: Colorado Springs, CO
• More Information: Bass Pro Website

Narrative

The big story here in Colorado Springs in recent weeks has been the opening of the Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World here in Colorado Springs.  I was really impressed by the one in Denver so I was looking forward to having a local store here in the Springs.  So this weekend my family and I braved the wintry weather that has hit the area to check out this new store.  The store is located right across from the Air Force Academy north of Colorado Springs off of North Gate Boulevard. The store is very easy to find by just driving North on I-25 and you cannot miss the large store on the right. Just look for the North Gate exit where the Western Museum of Mining & Industry is located. Google has not updated their maps yet with the store, but just drive passed the museum and turn right on Bass Pro Avenue to the store:

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We had to park quite a distance from the store because of how packed the place was.  Normally this would not be a big deal, but it has been freezing cold here in the Springs the past few days due to the winter storm system that has been dumping snow on Colorado.  So my family and I braved the elements for a few minutes as we made our way to the front of the building to get inside.  While walking towards the front of the building we passed the small pond that when it is warmer out will be used to teach flying fishing at:

As we walked into the building we were greeted by a crowd of customers who were making their way through the security turnstiles.  As we got through security we were welcomed by the type of beautiful store you would expect from Bass Pro Shops:

The store is huge and stocked with all the outdoor merchandise you would expect from a store like this.  My wife and I enjoyed checking out the various products.  This store definitely has everything you can think of in regards to outdoor products.  However, something I noticed though was that some of the premium products were not offered here from the various manufacturers.  For example I am a big fan of Danner boots.  I went to see if they offered the American made Danners, instead the store had the cheaper made in China Danners.  This is something I see often at the mega-stores where to keep their prices low they do not offer the higher quality products.  Sometimes there is not an alternative to the made in China products, but I think if there is one Bass Pro Shops should at least offer it.  The store does have a large selection of clothes from premium outfitters such as North Face and Columbia.  REI just does not have the floor space to compete with the large selection here.  Also the prices seemed a bit cheaper as well, but keep in mind that REI does offer the member savings.

What my kids really enjoyed doing at the store was looking at all the stuffed animals that were hanging up on the walls above the customers:

They also enjoyed the the giant fish tank and big outdoor panorama that can be seen at the back of the store:

After we finished checking the store out we then walked over to the check out counters in the front of the store to purchase the couple of items we picked up.  After a long wait to pay for the items due to the long checkout line, my family I walked over to Uncle Buck’s Fishbowl & Grill that is attached to the store:

There is actually an entrance from within the store to the restaurant, but they had it closed supposedly because the door was broken which I find hard to believe in a brand new store.  I assume it was to prevent shoplifting while the store is experiencing large crowds during its grand opening.  Anyway we walked outside and then into the restaurant to find that the wait to even get a table was 45 minutes long.  We figured we would come back some other time when the wait isn’t so long to check out the restaurant.  Before we walked out I did spot that the restaurant had a bowling alley in it which I thought was pretty cool.  Anyway at this time I have no comment on how good this restaurant is.  If someone had the chance to eat at the restaurant feel free to leave a comment and let readers know if it is any good.

Conclusion

The Bass Pro Shop here in Colorado Springs is definitely now the best outdoor store in the Colorado Springs area.  It is not as big as the one in Denver, but has just about all the same stuff in it.  It is definitely better than the Cabela’s store that opened a few months ago in south Denver.  However, for specialized hiking gear I will still be going to the local REI store.  The Bass Pro Shop just felt like the Super-Walmart of outdoor stores with a huge inventory of cheap stuff made in China.  However, unlike Walmart this place is actually fun for kids to hang out and look at the stuffed animals, waterfall, and fish tank.  We will definitely go back again to check the place out more and hopefully try out the restaurant.  For those looking for general gear and clothes this is without a doubt the best place to go and check out.