Niagara Falls Cave Closed After Rockslide, Cave Of The Winds Shut For The Season

A popular Niagara Falls cave was closed for the season this weekend after a rockslide created conditions unfavorable to visitors.

The Niagara Falls cave that closed, Cave of the Winds, was shuttered Saturday after it was damaged overnight by the rockslide.

According to a local news source, the Niagara Falls cave was closed after heavy rains Friday night caused the attraction to become unstable. The Niagara Gazette reports:

“Tom Watt, general manager of the Falls park, said Saturday afternoon that several large rocks came down, damaging the walking path and several railings. In addition, several of the queuing gates were knocked over … ‘It was probably four to six large rocks,’ Watt said, estimating the largest to be about 18 inches in diameter and weighing around 200 pounds.”

Although the Niagara Falls cave closed early for the season, Cave of the Winds was set to shutter for 2012 on Wednesday, knocking only five days off its seasonal run. Along with the Cave of the Winds, the popular boat tour Maid of the Mist was also set to wrap up its season later this week.

After the Niagara Falls cave closed, officials confirmed that the rockslide was being checked out by State Parks officials. The Washington Post reported:

“State parks officials periodically send scaling crews to search for loose rocks along the gorge. A crew is scheduled to come on Monday to check for loose rocks and remove any that appear to be at risk of falling.”

No tourists are said to be at risk due to the Niagara Falls cave closure, but crews set to close up the attraction later in the week will have to be careful following the rockslide.