Off the Beaten Path's History

In 1989, Dick and Leslie Ryan moved to Steamboat Springs and purchased Boomtown Books - a tiny, mostly used bookstore operating on the mountain side of Lincoln Avenue between 9th and 10th streets. The following year, the Ryan’s built a home for the bookstore on 7th street, in what is now the Ghost Ranch Saloon. They moved their fledgling business there and, in keeping with their desire to make the bookstore a community meeting place, added a coffeehouse featuring on-site freshly baked confections. The store was rebranded into Off the Beaten Path Bookstore, Coffeehouse, and Bakery Cafe. 

In 2007 the Ryan’s decided to retire and sold Off the Beaten Path to Ron and Sue Krall. Ron and Sue were in the process of retiring to Steamboat and had been frequent visitors and customers at the bookstore and wanted to see the bookstore continue to be an essential part of the Steamboat community. Since the building had sold separately from the business and the new owner didn’t want to continue to house the bookstore, Ron and Sue moved the business to its current location at 68 9th St. The two of them strove to modernize Off the Beaten Path, giving it a new look and logo while keeping the warm and welcoming atmosphere of the old bookstore. 

Ron and Sue made the decision to sell the bookstore in July of 2022 to Mike and Danielle Skov. The Skov’s raised their three children in Steamboat, and it had always been Danielle’s dream to purchase the bookstore once the Krall’s were ready to retire. When Ron and Sue offered to sell, Danielle retired from her career as a reading specialist and jumped into the business feet-first! 

Our goal for Off the Beaten Path is to create a sustainable business that is a community treasure - a place for the exchange of ideas and the sharing of the written word, where reading is encouraged and celebrated. When someone walks through the door of Off the Beaten Path and breathes in the smell of coffee and fresh-baked cookies, sees our beautiful selection of books, and hears the buzz of conversation, we want them to feel like they’ve entered a place like no other, a place where they’ll want to return to again and again.

All About Us

Who are we? We're a ragtag group of writers, ski bums, students, teachers, artists, and more on a mission to get the right books (and the right coffee!) into your hands

What about our store? We are a full-service independent bookstore, with an extensive collection of new fiction, literature, history, memoirs, and young adult books. We feature a large selection children's books and toys (make sure to check out our famous Kids Cave)! We carry Indie Bound selections, NY Times bestsellers, and as a sponsor of  Literary Sojourn, a selection of Literary Sojourn authors. Check out our upcoming events!