About
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About Scot's Sporting Goods
Scot’s Sporting Goods has always been a family oriented and education based business. We cater to families and anyone that wants to enjoy the beautiful mountains and make life long memories. We provide quality gear and services at reasonable prices and our staff is eager to make your stay in Estes comfortable and fun. At Scot’s we have everything you could need for an outdoor adventure. The employees at Scots are also long time local residents that know the area well and can answer any question you might have about camping, fishing, hiking, or even favorite spots to grab a bite to eat in town. We also offer guided trips if you want to learn how to fly fish or are already a seasoned angler that wants to know where all of the hot spots are and fine tune your skills at small stream or high alpine lake fishing. We practice catch and release on and teach “Leave No Trace” principles on all of our trips. If fishing isn’t your thing, we would also love to take you out on a guided hiking or snowshoeing trip where our guides will teach you about local flora, fauna, geology and the history of the Estes Valley.
Inside the retail shop we have the best selection of outdoor gear in town. We carry everything from sleeping bags, tents, rain jackets, hiking boots & socks, camp stoves, fly fishing and spin fishing rods & reels, plus terminal tackle and live bait. We have the largest selection of artificial lures in town and our flies are tied by local tiers that know the entomology of the area and what the fish are biting on throughout the year. Stop in and chat with our friendly and knowledgeable staff and grab a free map where we will point out fishing spots and some of the best hikes in the area.
If you aren’t in the market to buy gear, we also carry items that will make your outdoor adventures more enjoyable, safe and affordable. At Scots we believe that the outdoors should be fun, but at the same time teach our customers how to be safe and prepared in the backcountry. It is a laid back vibe at Scots, where everyone is welcome and we are eager to answer any question you might have about our gear, services, and anything else that Estes Park has to offer. We believe in supporting small businesses and many of the brands we carry in the store are Colorado based companies. We are open year round and can get you outfitted and prepared for all of your outdoor adventures.
Scot's Sporting Goods History
Scot’s is an outdoor shop specializing in fishing, hiking, camping, backpacking supplies, outdoor clothing & footwear, and hunting & shooting sports. We carry a wide selection of outdoor gear from well-known and respected brands at competitive prices. The noticeable A-frame building has been a landmark on the West side of Estes Park since 1967, when Scot’s parents ran a liquor store out of a portion of the building. The rest of the building was a small grocery store that was known for their outstanding deli and bakery. Scot’s Sporting Goods was founded in 1971 by Scot Ritchie and started out as a 650 square foot retail shop. It was well known for having a wide variety of items that outdoorsmen staying in and around RMNP could stop by and grab. Its close proximity to the National Park and a large number of the RV parks in Estes Park made it easily accessibly without having to drive back into downtown Estes Park. Eventually the liquor store sold and moved to the building just West of Scots and the sporting goods store expanding into another 650 square foot portion of the building as the demand for outdoor gear grew. Along with offering more camping and fishing gear Scot began taking people out on guided fly fishing trips. Scot and his wife Rhonda ran the shop for 49 years and in 2019 sold it to Brian George.
Brian’s love for the outdoors began in 1979 when his parents brought him out to Estes for a family vacation when he was 6 months old and carried him in a child carrier on many hikes throughout RMNP. It then became a family tradition to spend at least one week a summer in Estes Park. Brian continued his passion for the outdoors by fishing, camping, backpacking, and hunting in the areas surrounding Estes Park. He was involved in Boy Scouts of America and obtained the rank of Eagle Scout in 1993 and eventually moved to Estes Park full time on 2002. When Scot wanted to retire Brian recognized a need to continue the Scots tradition and purchased the business from the family in 2019.
Get to Know Our Guides
- All
- Fly Fishing
- Hiking
- Snowshoeing
Mike Caldwell
Rob
Rebecca
David Francis
Wayne Hinkley
Bob
Customer Reviews
Google Reviews
DF ChuangApril 16, 2024Very friendly owner who gives wonderful advice! Pls get your gear rental here before hitting the trails!
brittany gaitherMarch 1, 2024Don’t waste your time. The man when you walk in is horribly rude. If you are a paying customer and you need the restroom, you must go across the rocks, the parking lot, to a gas station. They advertise that you get 15% off of 3 or more DAY rentals, but when you get there he says it’s 15% off of rentals longer that 3 days. I would suggest changing your wording to fit your offer and maybe having some customer service. We opted to head to ESTES PARK MOUNTAIN SHOP for better priced items, bathrooms, and (employee/owner?) who don’t act like you are an inconvenience.
Alex DDecember 20, 2023Terrible experience with Scot’s Sporting Goods. Rented faulty micro spikes that broke as we tried to put them on for the first time. Instead of addressing the issue, they charged exorbitant fees, claiming it was our fault. To make matters worse, the owner responded rudely, dismissing our concerns and labelling us as 'entitled children' for seeking resolution. Shocking customer service and poor quality equipment. Would strongly advise against using this company unless you want to risk being charged absurd fees for equipment that breaks the second you try it on.
Liana WhislerOctober 10, 2023Scot's had exactly what we needed! The gentleman that helped us was friendly. Awesome place! Great prices! Local business! Nicest staff of the sporting stores we visited!
Evan JonesOctober 9, 2023These guys do a great job of making fly-fishing more accessible and affordable. Whether you're just starting out, or simply don't want to take out a second mortgage to buy some gear, they've got plenty of options to get you and your kids out on the water.
George WittSeptember 24, 2023Had everything needed for my outing. Prices are reasonable and service was great.
Stephanie LarsenSeptember 18, 2023Super friendly staff. Very helpful and answered all of our questions. Would highly recommend.
Tripadvisor Reviews
Verified
Coleen WOctober 4, 2023Fishing We used Dave for a guided fishing tour. He was awesome! We highly recommend Scot’s for anything outdoorsy. They are knowledgeable and the prices are reasonable.Verified
Gregmar81August 14, 2022Recent Fly Fishing Trip Three of us had an opportunity to take a flying fishing trip with Denali and Jacob, two of guides that Scot's offered us. They were both exceptional teachers as none of us had ever done any fly fishing. We took a 4 hour lesson one morning and were simply amazed on how quickly the time flew by. Liked how they were changing the dry flies to reflect what insects were in abundance while we were fishing. Actually, now were considering taking up fly fishing as a hobby due to the instruction we received.Verified
Annie LAugust 15, 2021Guided Hike in RMNP What an unforgettable day we had with Wayne as our hiking guide in the Bear Lake region of RMNP. Besides being easygoing, he was very much on board with making the hike about what we were interested in. He was incredibly knowledgeable about all the plants and trees -- the challenges the area has faced in recent years. This is someone who personifies reverence for the spectacular ecosystem that is RMNP.Verified
GWENDALYN MJuly 26, 2021Highly recommend Wayne snd all the wonderful folks at Scots! We came in from Seattle for our first visit to RMNP. We have never paid for a hiking tour but with the reservation system and size of park, we decided to book a tour. We were so happy to spend the day with Wayne, he was kind and shared his love of the plants, animals and history of the area with us. Highly recommend!Verified
Terry SJuly 19, 2021RMNP Fly Fishing 7/12/2021 - 7/14/2021 If you want to enjoy a fly fishing trip with guys that really know and care about their business book a trip with Scot’s Sporting Goods in Estes Park, Colorado. I booked a 3 day trip for my son and myself to fish in RMNP and could not have been happier with the outcome. We fished 7 different waters in those 3 days and caught fish at every one, all on dry flies I might add. Every detailed aspect of the trip was thought out and planned. This shop is a credit to the sport of fly fishing – not just wanting you to catch fish but for you to experience the Rockies. Brian (owner), Denali (shop manager) and Ben (our guide) are all top flight and I hope to be fishing with them again in the future. Let these guys take you fishing, you won’t be disappointed. They are not just there to punch a clock on whatever number of hours you booked, they care about your enjoyment and experience. I would give this more than 5 stars but that is the max!Verified
NicoleOctober 12, 2020Wow! We have such a great time fishing with Chris and Kris! We were all inexperienced with fly fishing and left feeling like we had not only learned a lot, but that we had a great time. They were wonderful with our kids and very patient as well (with the kids and adults!). We would 100% recommend them for your fishing trip.Verified
CooperSeptember 24, 2020Use caution with Scot's Booked a guided fly fishing trip for my wife and I. The shop personnel and the guide we had were first class. Unfortunately, we went to fish in a river just below the Estes Lake Dam. My wife and I are experienced fly fishermen. While there were fish in the river, the location was public and it was under so much pressure that we caught no fish and only saw one other angler catch a small one. The location is a joke for the money. Ask the guide to take you to the national park, you might have a chance. My wife and I have some experience fly fishing. This was a bad experience for the money.Verified
RickyFlyntJuly 19, 2018Save your money here. So no to Kirk’s. All I needed was a dip net. Cheapest on at Kirk’s was 89 freekin dollars!!! Some over $139! No thanks. The tackle and Gear is more practical and prices much more reasonably. This is your store for the everyday fisherman.Verified
Laura LMay 27, 2018First Fly Fishing Experience Booked a private guided fly fishing trip for my boys and I and we had a great time. They made the process of getting booked and getting the needed supplies very easy. None of us had ever fly fished before and our guide Chris was awesome, extremely knowledgeable and patient. We will go back and ask for Chris the next time we are back in Estes Park!Verified
SleSeptember 4, 2017Friendly, local and knowledgeable Stopped in for advice on where fish were biting and to get some bait. Staff was extremely helpful, knowledgeable and kind. We also needed a hunting license and the woman was very patient as we had a few glitches. I would highly recommend this place for your local fishing needs!