Letchworth State Park, western New York (Dec 23, 2014)

Good question, which I don't know the answer to since I didn't ask. They were justified in closing off a portion of the trail that gave the best views of the middle falls, because of ice. The average person would most likely have been unequipped with proper traction; I had microspikes with me, but the official closure meant I didn't even put them on. The last part of the trail down to the lower falls was completely clear in the mid-40s temperatures, all the way down to the very final section near the falls which had a lot of ice on the trail due to spray. Again, they were justified in closing it (though I wouldn't have had a problem with my microspikes), but they could well have closed that very last part; I would have been able to get much better photos then. I did not investigate the trails on the east side of the gorge which I'd wanted to hike; I just went with the info provided to me at the visitor center that they were closed.