Sign of the Season: Lakefront Washrooms Close Ahead of Colder Months

 

 

 

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A post shared by Fleet Feet Chicago (@fleetfeetchicago) on May 31, 2018 at 2:24pm PDT

While some Chicagoans wait until the changing colors of the leaves or the seasonal holidays to claim the end of summer, real Chicago runners know that the fall season is here when the lakefront washrooms close to the public.

A few of our staff members mentioned that while out on the lakefront path for their run last weekend, they spotted signs on the doors of the public restrooms of Castaways, the North Avenue Beach restaurant.

The sign declared that the public bathrooms attached to the venue would be closed starting at 9 p.m. on Sunday, October 21st. We can only assume others along the 18 mile path will follow suit in the coming weeks.

The news comes as a bummer to many runners who use the lakefront path year-round, but the Chicago Park District doesn't close the facilities to torture Chicago runners. They have their reasons for it (i.e. freezing of the pipes, cost, etc).

We reached out to the Chicago Park District facility management department for comment but have not received a response.

While you enjoy the cooler temperatures, there are many other public restroom options just a bit inland of the lakefront path. The Chicago running community on Reddit has a list of recommendations for you to use as well as an interactive map.

Subreddit admin /r/MachoMoco cosigned the Navy Pier spot and added the Shedd Aquarium as a bathroom destination.

Others suggested some grocery stores and Soldier Field, but proceed with caution, especially if you're alone. We recommend running with a buddy or two.

We haven't found too many suggestions along the 606 Path, so if you have any secret spots and want to enlighten us, send us an email or message us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram and we'll add it.