Campers at Lake Darling in the coming weeks will find themselves without the use of the two shower facilities, because they were recently shut down to be winterized. Park Ranger Zach Haworth admits it may seem early to start the winterizing process because of how warm the weather has been recently, but given how fickle Iowa’s weather can be, they didn’t want to take any risks with those buildings. The shower buildings are not heated, so to prevent the pipes from freezing over winter they drain all the lines and blow them out with air, and they put antifreeze in the toilets and drains.

The goal is to prevent water from freezing in the lines, which can cause them to break. Haworth says they usually find out in the spring how well they did with winterizing, but he feels they’ve done it enough they have it down to a science. Water to the rest of the campgrounds will continue to run as normal, including the hydrants at the full hook-up sites. There is also access to pit latrines near the cabins and the boat ramp. Haworth advises campers the shower and flush toilets will likely be turned back on in the middle of April.