Tempe Town Lake is the centrepiece of downtown Tempe — a two-mile reservoir created in 1999 by damming a dry stretch of the Salt River bed. What was once a dusty channel is now a long, narrow lake hemmed by parkland, with the city skyline and "A" Mountain on one side and the ASU campus on the other.
The lake supports kayaking, paddleboarding, and rowing — rentals are available at the Boat Beach near Tempe Center for the Arts. A continuous walking and cycling path circles the lake, popular at sunrise and sunset when the desert light turns the Salt River bluffs pink. Major events including the Ironman Arizona triathlon and Fourth of July fireworks centre on the lake.