State Parks Restrooms Closed in Keeping with Greenway Plan
By James Hufnagel
 |
| Restroom at Devil's Hole State Park. |
On Nov. 18, the public restrooms at Whirlpool and Devil's Hole State Parks, situated a mile and a half from each other along the top of the Niagara Gorge, have been closed until spring, 2014.
New York State Parks locks up these restrooms because the eight million tourists who visit Niagara Falls State Park every year, and sometimes, the Niagara Gorge, and very rarely, the city of Niagara Falls, have all gone home for the year.
No need to look after the comfort of local residents who hike, go birdwatching, walk their dogs, go for a run or wish to experience the winter wonderland of the Niagara Gorge and River during this time of year.
If the restrooms are closed due to vandalism, we would question whether there would be more vandalism during winter than the other three seasons. As far as freezing pipes, last week both restrooms at Whirlpool State Park were heated enough on a 40 degree day to double as saunas.
The message to local residents from State Parks is, you should have thought of that before you left home.
Don't bet on any local politicians doing anything about it. Without exception, when it comes to the 80% of Niagara Falls waterfront that State Parks owns and operates, they wouldn't say shit if their mouth was full. Which is good since the bathrooms are closed.