- Place
- Mažeikiai, Mažeikiai District Municipality
- Region
- Samogitia
- Type
- urban recreation park beside a reservoir
- Address
- 57A Sedos Street and 38-38A Pavenčių Street, Mažeikiai
- Coordinates
- 56.29505, 22.34170
- Visit duration
- 45 minutes to 2 hours for a walk and time beside the water
- Best time
- a bright day from spring to autumn after checking restrictions related to current works
Juodpelkis, Juodpelkis Recreation Park
Where Juodpelkis Park is and what its reservoir is called
Juodpelkis Park occupies part of south-eastern Mažeikiai around Sedos and Pavenčių streets. The current 2026-2029 visitor-access project covers plots at 57A Sedos Street and 38 and 38A Pavenčių Street, with an official project area of 7.17 hectares. That is a project boundary, not evidence that the whole landscape known locally as Juodpelkis fits within one precisely defined parcel.
The water at the centre of the park is labelled Stadiono Reservoir on the landscape plan of the Mažeikiai city master plan. The same drawing marks Juodpelkis Reservoir separately farther north-east and names the connecting watercourse Dubupis (Juodpelkis). Everyday municipal notices sometimes call Stadiono Reservoir the Juodpelkis Park pond, but that informal wording does not make the two formally mapped reservoirs one water body.
The map pin marks a representative path and activity point on the western side of the park. It is not a designated sole entrance, vehicle access, or guaranteed parking bay, so also check the practical approach from Sedos or Pavenčių Street on the day of the visit.
Walking among water, grassy slopes, and sports areas
An elongated reservoir, broad grassed embankments, reed beds, stone-protected shore sections, and woodland on the farther bank shape the park. Paved walking and cycling paths rise and fall with the terrain, while apartment buildings remain visible from part of the circuit. This is an everyday urban park, not a wild lake remote from residential Mažeikiai.
Visitors can walk, run, cycle, rest on benches, and use outdoor exercise equipment. Municipal reports also identify a concrete BMX and skate area, a dog-walking zone, and two fitness-equipment groups, each with 11 adult and 4 children's units. A commercial Wake Park Mažeikiai may operate on the water in season, but its hours, prices, and safety rules are separate from ordinary park access.
A floating fountain named Žvaigždė may operate during the warmer season. The municipality describes a water display about 28 metres across with a central jet reaching 11 metres. The fountain was returned to the reservoir on 29 April 2026 and prepared for activation, but weather, seasonal decisions, and maintenance mean that it cannot be promised on any particular day.
How the present recreation landscape took shape
Much of the present recreation layout was created or renewed in 2013-2015 through a joint Juodpelkis Park and central stadium project. Works addressed walking and cycling paths, parking, leisure and play spaces, lighting, benches, planting, and sanitary infrastructure. Municipal mobility documents record completion on 16 December 2015. This is a documented improvement phase, not a founding date for the park.
An earlier project study assigned 15.516 hectares to the park-and-stadium scheme: 8.222 hectares for the park and 7.294 hectares for the stadium. These figures differ from the current 7.17-hectare project because the periods and scopes differ. They should not be merged into a single permanent cadastral area for the park.
By 2021, reconstruction of Pavenčių Street had improved links to the paths and their accessibility, and the BMX and skate area, dog-walking zone, and floating fountain had been installed. Later maintenance reports refer to repaired benches, new litter bins, and renewed fitness equipment, showing that the park has evolved through several municipal investment stages.
What is planned for 2026-2029 but may not yet exist
A new contract to adapt Juodpelkis Park for visitors took effect on 25 February 2026 and is scheduled to end on 31 August 2029. Eligible project expenditure totals €516,356.84, including €438,900 in European Union funding. As of 21 July 2026, this is an active project rather than completed work.
Plans include renewing two existing terraced rest areas, building another terrace on stronger foundations, adding terrace lighting, improving path edges, and installing rainwater drainage. The project also proposes moving lamp posts that now stand in path centres, adding accent lighting with animal silhouettes in the wooded area, and marking a visitor route.
An accessible public toilet near the BMX and skate area and two smart benches are also planned. Until an official completion notice appears, none of these features should be assumed to be operational. Individual paths and rest areas may be temporarily restricted while works proceed.
Free access, surfaces, parking, and seasonal conditions
Juodpelkis is a public urban space without entrance gates, a general park ticket, or published daily opening hours. Daylight is the most practical time to visit, and municipal notices should be checked for current construction restrictions. Commercial water activities, equipment hire, and events may charge separately and keep their own schedules.
Main paths are paved, and earlier projects improved access, but the full circuit has not been documented as a barrier-free route. Slopes, shore edges, surface transitions, and construction zones can still present obstacles. A wheelchair user or family with a pushchair should choose a level section and avoid assuming that the entire loop is suitable without checking current conditions.
Parking infrastructure was part of the earlier upgrade, but availability and access can change during events or works. After heavy rain, water may collect or soil soften beside path edges, while winter surfaces may be icy; drainage in the new project is still planned rather than completed. Keep back from wet banks and treat the fountain, water sports, and ice as seasonal conditions rather than permanent facilities.
