A Saturday in Washington Park Warm weather has arrived at last, drawing yogis, paddleboaters and basketball players to Washington Park

Photos by Tim Collins

Garry Appel left a 36 plus-year career as a corporate lawyer to practice and teach yoga. In the summertime, his Saturday morning vinyasa yoga class in the Smith Lake Boathouse attracts up to 100 flexible “yogis,” as Appel describes his students.

Local talent turns out for pick-up basketball in the western section of the park. Two larger, improved basketball courts replaced the park’s old courts four years ago. The city of Denver hopes to transform the old courts into a picnic area overlooking the lake.

On a breezy day, energetic boaters pedal their way across Smith Lake’s 17 rippling acres of water. Pedal boats can be rented at a marina near the boathouse. The lake also attracts stand-up paddleboarders and many anglers on the hunt for trout, yellow perch and largemouth bass.