Harlow Platts Park

I used to go to this park and the adjacent South Boulder Rec Center decades ago when I was in the Table Mesa neighborhood more frequently. After a long absence, I have returned to use the trail around Viele Lake as my preferred exercise location. Trying to get into a more regular walking routine, I needed to find a place that I could maintain a good pace, was not crowded and had interesting views. Nothing within walking distance of my house fits that description so I thought I should go see what is happening in this part of town.
Yes, in the politics of Boulder, I do have to drive my «evil» car to this location, but traffic and parking is never an issue and I can be there in about 6 minutes. The view of the Flatirons from here is fantastic, the lake is pretty and the trees and parkland around it very pleasing. There are some playing fields behind the Rec Center that are used for practice groups from the nearby Fairview HS on many days. In the weekday mornings it is mostly a place to find seniors and parents with small kids in strollers on the paved trail. Also, an occasional school group doing a little investigating of the pond life. They have added restrooms and a picnic shelter recently near the playground. As new young families are buying up the nearby homes from retirees, there is a new sense of excitement and investment in the neighborhood and the playground is busy, though not over crowded, and has a nice mix of modern attractive equipment.

I don’t understand why this park doesn’t have a better rating. It’s really great. We came here for a picnic and were able to sit in a nice quiet place under 2 BIG trees. So peaceful and relaxing.

I’m still trying to figure out why there’s almost never anyone at this playground. It’s a nice enough place, albeit without much shade, but there are both infant and big kid swings, a mini zip-​line, some decent slide stuff… there are just rarely that many kids here and it makes for lonely times. The lake is nice enough — there are lots of geese and the accompanying geese poop all over surrounding grass and walkways. It’s close to the South Boulder Rec Center and there are a few picnic tables and BBQs so definitely stuff to do. Just often quite deserted.

Viele Lake is hard to review because the city of Boulder keeps f-​ing it up. Under normal conditions Viele is beautiful, hilly, green park situated around a small lake. There’s a relatively new playground, a Frisbee golf course, a nice Rec Center, BBQ pits, tennis and volleyball courts, and a really good sledding hill.
However, recently Boulder «accidentally» gave away the rights to the water in the lake and, as the water has been siphoned away, it’s been little more than a large mud puddle. A long-​term problem, for which the City is to blame, is the fact that they heat the lake (something about exhaust from the Rec Center being released in the lake or something) which the migrating geese see as a giant, snowy hot tub. Hence the furthest south they make it is South Boulder, preferring to soak away the winter, ripping up the grass and pooping up a storm.
At it’s best it’s a solid 4 stars and at it’s worst… probably a 1. But on any given day I think I’d have to give it a 3. So there you have it.