Sparks Marina Park is one of the biggest and most well-known parks in Sparks, Nevada. The park provides a wide variety of recreational opportunities to residents of Sparks and the entire Truckee Meadows region. The centerpiece of the park is the 77-acre Sparks Marina Lake, which offers one of the best public swimming spots in the area during the hot summer months. The entire park spans 81 acres.
Day Use Activities
Sparks Marina Park offers a plethora of recreational facilities ideal for both residents and visitors. Whether you wish to host a relaxing gathering, take the kids for a swim, visit the dog park, stroll along the scenic path around the lake, or simply unwind on the grass, Sparks Marina Park accommodates a variety of activities. The facilities available at the park include:
- Two beaches
- Picnic areas
- Public fishing pier
- Two-mile walking path around the lake
- Two volleyball courts
- Two playgrounds
- Concession stand (summer only)
- Restrooms and showers
- Shade canopies
- Dog park
For information about renting a group day-use area, please contact Sparks Parks and Recreation at (775) 353-2376.
Moreover, popular activities at Sparks Marina Park include scuba diving and boating (only electric motors are permitted). It is important to note that fishing requires a Nevada license, and fishing is prohibited in swimming areas, with a daily possession limit of three fish.
Special Events
Sparks Marina Park serves as a venue for several special events throughout the year. The combination of diverse facilities and the Marina Lake makes the park an ideal setting for community gatherings. Events that take place at Sparks Marina Park include:
- Kids Free Fishing Day—late spring
- Mark Wellman’s Adventure Day—June
- Scheels Kids Triathlon—July
- Scheels Turkey Trot—Thanksgiving Day
Additionally, past special events have featured sand volleyball tournaments and wakeboarding competitions, which attract participants from all around.
Getting to the Park
The parking area and main facilities of Sparks Marina Park are conveniently located at 300 Howard Drive in Sparks, Nevada. The park and lake are positioned on the north side of Interstate 80, nestled between N. McCarran Boulevard to the west and the large Scheels store in The Legends shopping center to the east. Therefore, the most straightforward route to the parking lot is via N. McCarran, using either Nichols Boulevard or East Lincoln Way.
About Sparks Marina Lake
Historically, the area that now houses Sparks Marina Lake was an industrial site known as Helms gravel pit. Over the years, significant amounts of rock were extracted for road construction projects, resulting in a pit approximately 100 feet deep.
Plans to transform this area into a park featuring a modest lake commenced, but the significant flooding of the Truckee River in 1997 altered those plans dramatically. Overnight, the Helms pit filled with around a billion gallons of water, thus creating Sparks Marina Lake.
Furthermore, an underground spring continually contributes an estimated 2 million gallons of water daily to the lake, with excess water being discharged into the Truckee River to maintain the lake’s level. This constant replenishment keeps the lake fresh and pristine for recreational activities. For additional details regarding the history of the Helms pit, you may refer to The Gravel Pit That Became a Lake by Rich Moreno.
