10+ Things To Do At Washington Park
In the heart of Capitol Hill, Denver lies a beautiful place to detach from society.
As we know, Denver is filled with active people; ones who enjoy camping, hiking, skiing, snowboarding, rock climbing, water sports, and everything else under the sun. When it’s not as easy to take a trip to the mountains, Washington Park is a perfect place to get away from the noise of the sirens and honking cars. This park has a more environmental feel, featuring lakes and meadows.
There’s a wide variety of things to do at Washington Park, so we made this article to help determine a couple of the best, most popular activities.
What you’ll get out of this article:
- Activities to participate in at Washington Park
- How to prepare for your day at Washington Park
- Book and game suggestions for the park
- A brief history of the park
|Brief History|
The history of Washington Park started in 1865 when a project was underway to create more availability for water outside of the city, via a ditch. The ditch was completed in 1867 which allowed more room for farming and settlements. With the ditch created, there was also a natural depression in the land; leaving the space as a perfect opportunity for a lake. Residents of the area considered the lake to be a perfect spot for a park, but progress towards a recreational area remained stagnant.
Towards the end of the 19th century, the park was named in honor of the centennial of when George Washington passed away. The park at its most basic time was simply two lakes with a meadow in between. Developments and additional features were slowly added over the years, turning Washington Park into what it is today; a key addition being the Washington Park Recreation Center at the north end of the park.
While you’re at Washington Park, check out the historic bathhouse and boathouse. To read more on the history of the park, check it out here.
Activities at Washington Park
What do you plan on doing this weekend? Whatever your heart desires? Well, start it off with a couple of hours at one of Denver’s most popular parks with one of these things to do.
Games and Sports
Volleyball is a huge sport that you can find people playing at Washington Park; one of the most popular activities you can find at this location. Get a group of four people and randomly walk onto a court, I guarantee you can have the next game. The people are very inviting when it comes to playing outdoor sports at the park, especially Volleyball – many Facebook groups have been created to organize this sport at Washington Park.
As soon as you arrive at Washington Park, you’ll notice that it’s home to many Denver locals. In every corner of the park, you’ll find a group of people playing some sort of game or sport. On top of the competitive ultimate frisbee leagues that happen all around Denver, you can find casual frisbee players on the weekends looking to sling a disc with a beer in hand.
Football and Soccer aren’t too common in the park. However, I’ve been a part of a couple of games of toss or one-on-ones. Because there aren’t any white lines painted on the grass to outline a field, one of the best ways to have fun with a soccer ball is to juggle it and see how many you and your friends can get.
Playing games and sports remains at the top of the list of some of the best things to do at Washington Park. Honorable mentions for games and sports at this park: Bocce Ball, Spikeball, Kan Jam, and Lacrosse.
Books
If reading into the history of Washington Park intrigued you, I’m sure you’re one of the people who find that reading books might be one of the best things to do at Washington Park. You wouldn’t be the only one – there are numerous people laying on blankets around the park diving into books that are as big as the dictionary!
Some book recommendations that we have for you to read outside: Washington Black by Esi Edugyan, Greenwood by Michael Christie, The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert, Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens, Nature and Selected Essays by Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillips.
Group Events
This one is vague because you can do essentially anything as a group. However, to highlight some specific group events, we made this section for you.
Throughout the park are overwhelming smells of burgers and hotdogs being cooked on grills. Groups of people were lining up to put the fixings on top for their perfect burger. Get your friends together for a little BBQ or grill out this summer at Washington Park.
Youth group events are alive all over the park. Leaders with megaphones shout into the abyss in order to gain the completely divided attention of children fueled up on sugar. In the pavilion, you can also find professionals hosting work events.
Sleep/Relax
One of the best things to do at Washington Park, and an activity that you’ll see so many people doing is simply sleeping or lounging. The collection of dogs barking, people laughing, cars honking, music playing, and wind blowing creates a sort of white noise that encourages relaxation.
On a nicer day, when the sun isn’t destroying the surface of the earth with its rays, it will provide a nice blanket of warmth from a small breeze that might be flowing through the park.
How to prepare for Washington Park
- Pack plenty of water
- Add sunscreen
- Pack snacks
- Bring alcohol/beverages
- Bring a blanket
- Find shade
- Bring a speaker
A day or even a couple of hours at Wash Park can take a toll on your body. The key to making sure you make it through, especially on a hot or crowded day is to be prepared.
When planning your trip to Washington Park, make sure you pack plenty of water. There is a lack of tree coverage at the park and if you get there later in the day, the odds that you’ll be able to find one to sit under are very slim. Being in the heat all day, even if it doesn’t feel like you’re sweating or losing water, will cause dehydration and could lead to even more serious complications.
On top of needing a lot of water while you’re baking in the sun, you’ll want to add sunscreen to your list of items. Similar to the lack of shade causing dehydration, it will cause your skin to burn.
If you and your friends plan on using the whole day, you’ll want to pack snacks. Although there are small shops sprinkled around the perimeter of the park, you don’t want to have to interrupt your day in order to walk and grab a bite to eat. Make sure you bring a cooler with hot and cold snacks to keep your activities going!
If you’re of the age, alcohol is a great item to bring to your next Washington Park hangout session. The idea behind this is to have a great time, get a little tipsy while it’s still light out, and drink in a different environment. The NUMBER ONE thing that everyone needs to remember is to pick up trash. Leave the park better than how you found it – otherwise, the ghosts and ghouls will haunt you.
There’s a certain level of comfort that I try to uphold when I spend time at the park. That level of comfort doesn’t get met unless I bring a blanket with me. Don’t spend hours scratching your arms and legs because the irritation from the grass caught you off guard. Bring a blanket to set your things on or wrap yourself in on a crisp day.
To counter your dehydration and sunburn, find shade. Whether you bring an awning or tent, or you get to the park early enough to find a tree, your ideal day at the park involved shade. The difference between a good day at the park and a fantastic day at the park is a nice, shady break from activities.
This is one of the most controversial topics for park-goers. Bringing a speaker to the park so you can listen to music is a decision that you must make with experience. However, it’s common sense to know that you shouldn’t play the music too loud. You can go to the park to hear the birds chirp and the wind blow, or you can bring a speaker to play your music – just remember to be respectful.
Check out some additional resources for folks in Denver:
