At the old Elko City Pool, winter open swim ran less than six hours a week, and summer ran about 15. Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeastern Nevada CEO Rusty Bahr gave those figures to the Elko Daily Free Press in February. He set them beside the new building's opening schedule, which offered 27 hours of winter open swim a week and 26.5 in summer.
For the first time in decades, winter in Elko gets as much public pool time as summer. This is the first fall and winter that the Nevada Gold Mines Recreation Center at 602 Country Club Drive has run on its full cold-weather schedule. That schedule runs from Aug. 17, 2026, through May 31, 2027. There's more pool time than before, but it's packed into set windows. A family that shows up on a Monday evening out of habit will find the pools in use, while the same family on Tuesday walks straight into open swim.
A pool built for summer, run all year
The old pool came up short in winter because of how it was built. Mayor Reece Keener said the pool was designed to last 30 to 35 years of seasonal use but was run year-round instead, and it was more than 50 years old by the end. The Elko Daily Free Press reported his line that "the city will be glad to get out of the swimming pool business."
Running it wasn't cheap. Over five years, the city spent an average of $460,529 a year on the old pool, and keeping it open for the 2025-2026 fiscal year was budgeted at $597,176. Instead, the City Council voted 4-1 in December 2025 to give the Boys & Girls Clubs $400,000 a year to run the new center, starting Jan. 1, 2026. The city's resolution says the center will serve all city residents "in lieu of the Elko Municipal Pool."
The building cost about $20 million and sits on land the city donated. Its name comes from a $10 million gift from Nevada Gold Mines. It has two indoor pools kept at different temperatures for different uses. The competitive pool is 6 lanes and 25 yards, held at 82 to 83 degrees. The warm-water family pool is 3 lanes and 25 yards, held at 86 degrees.
The first months showed the demand
The center opened to the public on Jan. 29, 2026. By mid-April, the Elko Daily Free Press reported 3,175 members and more than 4,200 visitors in the first two months. Open swims were drawing an average of 350 people each, and 150 children had taken swim lessons. Water aerobics classes were running at more than 30 people per class, and the center had 24 lifeguards with 10 more in training.
Bahr was clear early on that the first schedule wasn't final.
"It is important to understand that this is our starting point," he told the Elko Daily in February, adding that the center would "adjust as the need shows."
So the 27-hour figure describes opening week. For this winter, the 2026-2027 program guide's grid is the one to go by.
Where the public windows fall this winter
This table pulls the open swim slots out of the winter aquatics schedule. Every hour not shown is set aside for lap swim, water fitness, lessons, the swim team, programs or private rentals.
| Day | Warm-water family pool | Competitive pool |
|---|---|---|
| Monday and Wednesday | 1:00 to 2:15 p.m. | No open swim |
| Tuesday and Thursday | 1:00 to 2:15 p.m. and 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. | 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. |
| Friday | 1:00 to 2:15 p.m. | 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. |
| Saturday and Sunday | 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. | 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. |
A few patterns stand out. Weekend afternoons are the only time both pools are open to the public at once for a full three hours. On weekdays, the family pool opens to everyone every day from 1:00 to 2:15. Tuesday and Thursday are the evening open swim nights. On Monday and Wednesday evenings, the Anacondas swim team uses the family pool and the competitive pool is set for lap swim. The Anacondas are part of the Snake River LSC and take swimmers ages 5 through 18.
The winter grid lists only the two indoor pools. The renovated outdoor pool, with its 25-meter lanes, diving and slide area, and Big Al's Concession and Ice Cream Shop, is on the summer schedule.
Adults who swim laps or take classes get a separate set of hours:
- Early lap swim runs from 5:30 to 8:30 a.m. in the competitive pool, Monday through Saturday.
- Midday lap swim runs from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on the same days.
- Evening lap swim runs from 5:45 to 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, with a longer 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. slot on Monday and Wednesday.
- Water fitness meets in the warm-water pool from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. on weekdays, plus 5:45 to 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday. It's free for members and day-pass users ages 13 and up.
Lap swimmers must be 13 or older. When the pool is busy, walkers may be asked to stay in lane one.
Rules that decide whether the visit works
Four house rules shape a first visit as much as the clock does:
- A deep-water test comes first. Before anyone can use the deep areas during open swim, they must pass a swim test given by a lifeguard. It usually means swimming without stopping and then treading water.
- Age decides supervision. Children 7 and under must have a parent or adult with them at all times, or be in the nursery program. Children ages 8 to 12 need an adult 18 or older in the building, or a supervised program. Open swim counts as a supervised program.
- Bring your own flotation and locks. The center doesn't provide life jackets, and a child wearing one must stay within arm's reach of an adult. Day lockers need your own lock, and locks left overnight are cut.
- Watching isn't always free. Immediate family can watch lessons and swim team practice at no charge. To watch open swim, you need a membership or day pass.
The nursery pairs well with the morning schedule. Babysitting for children ages 3 months to 7 years runs from 8:15 to 10:00 a.m. and from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. on weekdays. It costs $5 a visit or $25 for a 10-visit punch card, and a parent has to stay in the building. The morning window covers the whole 8:30 water fitness class.
What a winter of swimming costs
Adult day passes are $10, and youth, teen and senior passes are $5. An adult membership is $38 a month, so four adult visits in a month cost more as day passes. Other monthly rates are $58 for a family, $28 for seniors 60 and older, $40 for a senior family, $30 for teens and $25 for youth. Every membership adds a one-time $15 joining fee.
Membership reaches beyond Country Club Drive. Rec center members get full fitness privileges at the Spring Creek Boys & Girls Club at no extra cost, including the fitness center, gym and classes. Businesses with 10 or more participating employees can get a 10% corporate discount, and the Boys & Girls Club offers financial assistance through the front desk at (775) 738-2759.
Winter Red Cross swim lessons are 45 minutes long, nine classes over five weeks. They cost $70 for members and $85 for non-members. Private 45-minute lessons are $25 a class for members and $35 for non-members. The front desk has the current session dates.
The days the doors stay shut
The center's closure list is short, and much of it falls in the next few weeks. It's closed for Nevada Day, which this year is Friday, Oct. 30, the day after this post goes up. Next come Thanksgiving, the day after Thanksgiving and the rest of Thanksgiving weekend. After that, it closes on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. On ordinary days, the building is open from 5:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on weekdays, 5:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, and 1:00 to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday.
The old pool's building may become the next court space
The empty city pool on the old site may get a second life. In April, the Elko Daily Free Press reported that a planned trade with the city could turn the building into a multipurpose sports space with a basketball court and four pickleball courts. The Boys & Girls Clubs were still raising money for the $300,000 project at the time.
A bigger project is further out. As of February 2026 reporting, the Boys & Girls Clubs planned an events and sports center near the school district bus barns, with Elko County contributing $15 million. Its three phases were estimated at nearly $28.87 million in total. Groundbreaking was targeted for May 2028 and a grand opening for December 2029. Until then, the two indoor pools at 602 Country Club Drive are where Elko swims all winter, with both pools open to the public from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday.
When families talk with Carla Bailey about a move-up home in Elko or Spring Creek, the drive to swim practice, lessons and morning lap swim is a fair thing to weigh alongside the house itself. If you'd like to see how different streets line up with the rec center and the Spring Creek club, we're glad to map it out with you. Schedule a Free Consultation.
