After 26 years of providing Denverites with a more affordable, gently used option for costly outdoor gear, Wilderness Exchange is closing its doors for good this weekend.
Owner and founder on the store’s website and social media pages Tuesday but did not go into detail about why the store was closing, simply stating that “all good things must come to an end.”
“We have always believed in the basic truth that the outdoors belongs to everyone,” Bushey wrote. “We’re proud to have helped to make the outdoors more accessible and affordable for so many people and to have been a part of their outdoor journey.”
is known for selling brand-name gear at a fraction of the sticker price, with some items discounted as steeply as 80%. For most of the store’s 26 years, the inventory has included a mix of used, consignment, overstock and sample backcountry gear.
Wilderness Exchange’s final day at 2401 15th St. is set for Sunday, although the will remain active “for now,” Bushey said in the announcement.
Bushey could not be reached for comment on the store’s closure.
The news drew an outpouring of support and sadness from patrons online, with current and former customers sharing memories of outfitting themselves and their families so they could play in Colorado’s wild backyard.
Less than a block from the REI Flagship store at Confluence Park, Wilderness Exchange started as a way to make it easier for people to connect with the outdoors, Bushey said in a 2022 interview with The Denver Post.
“Our mission was to break down the financial barriers to access the outdoors,” he said. “The whole idea of Wilderness Exchange initially was a community-based store where people could come in and outfit themselves.”
Bushey, then 33, opened the business in a 600-square-foot shop in 2000, close to where the store is now. He lived in an apartment upstairs.
“It took off so fast, my upstairs apartment became part of the store, with backpacks in the living room,” Bushey said in the 2022 interview. “The spare bedroom became the sleeping bag room.”
The store expanded its offerings in 2025, when Bushey partnered with outdoor equipment company Black Diamond to renovate the space and open a “store within a store,” with the upper level selling new equipment while second-hand sales continuing downstairs.
Bushey’s announcement on Tuesday did not say what will happen to the Black Diamond store inside Wilderness Exchange. Black Diamond officials could not be reached for comment.
“We’ll see you on the trail, on the ski hill, at the crags, and wherever the next adventure takes us,” Bushey wrote in the farewell announcement Tuesday. “Until then, keep it wild!”
