Assume paths and bridges close when ice hits.

It depends entirely on where you are, but the safe bet is they close. Different cities, parks, and trail systems have wildly different policies for ice. Some salt and plow everything immediately, others just let nature do its thing and close until a thaw.

Bridges freeze first—always. Even if roads look clear, a pedestrian bridge can be a sheet of ice. And paths that are fine at noon can be treacherous by 4pm when the sun drops and shade sets in. Don’t trust a general “open or closed” statement you heard last week.

Check the local parks department website, or better, their social media. In my experience, they post real-time closures for ice within a few hours. If you can’t confirm, assume it’s closed. A twisted ankle is not worth saving ten minutes of looking at a frozen creek.

Better to assume closed and be pleasantly surprised.