BUILT FOR ALL AGES
NEW Nevada Gold Mines Recreation & Aquatics Center
Changes What’s Possible
https://bgcelko.org/recreation-center
For decades, Elko County has talked about the need for modern pools, year-round fitness options, and a place where families and adults could stay active close to home. In early 2026, that vision finally becomes reality not as a city burdened with debt, but as a community success story made possible through partnership, generosity, and shared purpose.
The Nevada Gold Mines Recreation Center is not a kid only facility. It is a community recreation center in the truest sense of the word. It’s designed for families, working adults, seniors, teens, athletes, beginners, and everyone in between.
“This is a place for the entire community,” said Rusty Bahr, CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeastern Nevada who will manage the facility. “Parents, grandparents, professionals getting off work, kids learning to swim, seniors staying mobile, everyone belongs here.”
Inside the modern, 30,500-square-foot facility and over 20,000 sq. ft. of outdoor amenities, residents will find facilities Elko has long needed but never had under one roof.
Designed to serve the entire community, the Nevada Gold Mines Recreation Center brings together aquatics, fitness, family recreation, and youth spaces in one modern, welcoming facility. At its heart is a comprehensive Indoor Aquatic Center, featuring a competition swimming pool alongside a warm-water recreational and teaching pool and a separate splash zone. With seating and amenities suited for swim meets, lessons, aquatic programs, water fitness, and casual recreation, the indoor pools offer year-round opportunities for athletes, families, seniors, and anyone using the water for health, therapy, or enjoyment.
When the weather warms, the experience expands outdoors. The Outdoor Water Adventure area will include an outdoor swimming pool, major water slides, grass lounging areas, and a full-service concession stand with outdoor seating creating a summer destination for families, teens, and adults alike. Schedules for both indoor and outdoor aquatic spaces are designed to balance lap swimming, programs, and open recreation, ensuring access for all. Construction is currently underway, made possible through the generous support of Highmark Construction, a community-minded company committed to giving back to the residents it serves.
Beyond the pools, adults and families will find a state-of-the-art fitness center equipped with Precor treadmills, ellipticals, bikes, stair climbers, a full weight circuit, cable crossover system, and free weights complete with TVs to keep workouts engaging. Group fitness classes offer options for every experience level, while a double gymnasium with six basketball hoops provides space for open play, leagues, and community activities.
Families are supported in practical ways, too. Babysitting services allow parents to work out worry-free, and the welcoming game room and lobby space offers seating, gaming equipment, and youth area perfect for waiting during practices or simply gathering in a safe, social environment.
Teens ages 13 to 18 have a space of their own in the dedicated Teen Center, complete with computers, video gaming, homework areas, and social space designed just for them. It’s a place to connect, unwind, and belong while remaining part of a larger, family-focused facility.
Your membership value extends even further through a reciprocal agreement with the Spring Creek Boys & Girls Club, giving recreation center members full access to the Spring Creek fitness center, gymnasium, and fitness classes at no additional cost.
Together, these amenities reflect a single goal: creating a recreation center that truly serves everyone from kids and teens, working adults, families, seniors, and lifelong athletes alike while offering more access, flexibility, and opportunity than Elko has ever had before.
Companies can also invest in their team’s health and well-being. Businesses with 10 or more participating employees qualify for a 10% corporate membership discount, making it easy to support a healthier, more productive workforce.
The City of Elko contributed land and support, while additional funds for the project were made possible through private donations, grants, and business partnerships led by a transformational $10 million contribution from Nevada Gold Mines, for which the center is proudly named.
In total, the recreation center represents a multi-million-dollar investment in Elko Counties’ future without saddling the community with excessive long-term debt.
“This only happened because businesses, foundations, donors, and community partners stepped up,” Bahr said. “Nevada Gold Mines set the tone, and others followed.”
After decades of discussion, the result is finally here: a recreation center for everyone, built by the community, for the community and built to last.