Minneapolis' Star Tribune reports that the National Park Service is testing both bike and canoe sharing services in the 72-mile long Mississippi National River & Recreation Area southeast of the Twin Cities.

The Park Service already partners with the nonprofit Nice-Ride bike-sharing service in downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul, but wants to make it easier for residents and tourists to experience the urban river.  The first-of-its-kind canoe-sharing service would provide safety gear, river information, and online education to keep users safe, and might partner with Nice-Ride for the bicycle portion. The Park Service plans to launch the first phase of this new service in the summer of 2016 to coincide with the centennial of the National Park Service.