Public Pools and Splash Pads in Carson and Minden

Summertime in the Carson Valley may have peaked, but that doesn’t mean daytime highs into the 90s are gone for good. Well into October, you can expect the high desert sun to beam down in full force – and with that, there’s always a need for afternoon cool-off spots that don’t involve sitting inside air-conditioned rooms.

Yes, there’s Lake Tahoe, but sometimes the drive-up and hunt for parking and the general hassle of a beach day – only to dip into snowmelt waters that are now starting to cool off overnight – are a bit more than you’d reckoned for. Sometimes, you just want to keep it low-key and local. So, if you’re new to the area and looking for water-play options that keep you near the valley floor, here are some excellent options.

Photo above: Carson City Aquatic Facility courtesy of Carson City Parks, Recreation & Open Space Department Facebook

Carson City Aquatic Facility

When it comes to Carson City’s public swimming pools, the Aquatic Facility is the main game in town. Inside, this facility features a full-size Olympic swimming pool along with a tot/parent pool and therapy pool. Outside, another swimming pool is open from May through mid-September and boasts an impressive waterslide. You get the experience of a waterpark without the cost.

Drop-in day passes are a very reasonable $5 for adults (and less for kids), which is about what you pay for a glass of water these days. All in all, the Carson City Aquatic Facility is outsized for Carson City’s small size and brings much needed swimming resources to this growing community.

Whether you want to do some laps indoors or play outside with the kids, the Carson City Aquatic Facility has you covered — and the fact that it’s right in downtown Carson City, next to Mills Park and across from the Community Center, further sweetens the deal.

Photo: Carson City Splash Pad in Bob McFadden Plaza courtesy of Carson City Parks, Recreation & Open Space Department Facebook

Splash Pads in Carson and Minden

Water fun doesn’t always mean swimming pools — and both Carson City and Minden have splash pads for the little ones to enjoy.

In downtown Carson City, the splash pad sits in Bob McFadden Plaza, the center-point of many downtown activities and events. Here, you can unleash your children and dogs to cool off in the water while you grab a drink at one of the pubs such as the Fox Restaurant that have seating inside the plaza.

If you’re down in Minden or passing through, there are two splash pads in town: one at Minden Park at 1601 Sixth Street and a newer one at Westwood Park on 1780 Pinewood Drive.

All the splash pads are free, unstaffed, push-button operated and open from about May to October, making them low-stress, spontaneous options to cool off in the outdoors.

Photo: Carson Valley Swim Center courtesy of Carson Valley Swim Center Facebook

Carson Valley Swim Center

The crown jewel of the Carson Valley swimming scene is the Carson Valley Swim Center. Located in Minden, near the roundabout by the Douglas Valley High School, this one is a little bit of a trek if you are coming from Carson City, but it’s still less than 20 minutes from downtown Carson. Pricing remains affordable, about the same as the Carson Aquatics Center, but in a facility that’s more spacious, feature-packed and with better mountain views from the outside. That’s not to say the Carson Aquatics Center is not worth a visit — only that the Carson Valley Swim Center is a step up if time permits the further drive.

The Swim Center has six pools in total, both indoors and outdoors for year-round enjoyment. There are Olympic swimming pools for lap swimmers, water slides, diving boards, a 16-foot rock wall that arches one of the pools as well as a 93-degree therapy pool. There’s also a shallow kids’ splash zone, floating obstacle course and plenty of space for group outings and parties, again both in the elements or in rooms inside.

Unlike some swim centers with restrictive hours, the Swim Center is open 363 days a year, and the “extras” that invite you inside, like the climbing wall and water slide, are open most of the day rather than in specific windows that you have to plan for in advance. The Carson Valley Swim Center has been serving the community since 1989, and it shows in how dialed in the whole operation is. You’ll be sure to be smiling and laughing as you create memories with your loved ones at the Carson Valley Swim Center. All throughout the year, they put on special events such as Easter egg water hunts and Fourth of July parties.

Between the valley’s swim centers and splash pads, there’s no excuse to sit in the AC during the long hot afternoons of August and September. Grab a swimsuit next time you feel the heat and get out there.