Niagara Falls
Feel the thunder: up to 168,000 cubic meters of water go over the edge every minute.
Photo: Saffron Blaze · CC BY-SA 3.0
Niagara Falls guide from the US side: Niagara Falls State Park, Maid of the Mist, Cave of the Winds, Goat Island, the Canadian view and the best season.
Three waterfalls make up Niagara Falls: the American Falls and the small Bridal Veil Falls on the US side, and the giant Horseshoe Falls, mostly in Canada. Together they carry the water of four Great Lakes toward Lake Ontario, and in high season the volume is so great that the mist rises like smoke and can be seen kilometers away.
On the US side, Niagara Falls State Park was established in 1885, making it the oldest state park in the country. It was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the landscape architect behind Central Park. Walk out to Terrapin Point on Goat Island for a view straight into the Horseshoe, then descend to the Cave of the Winds decks, where you stand just meters from the Bridal Veil.
The Maid of the Mist boats have been sailing into the spray since 1846; you will get soaked, and that is the point. In the evening, the falls are lit in color, and on many summer nights fireworks light up the gorge.
Don’t miss
- 1The Maid of the Mist boat ride into the Horseshoe Falls
- 2The Hurricane Deck at the Cave of the Winds
- 3Terrapin Point on Goat Island
- 4The falls lit up after dark
Insider tips
- Bring your passport: walking over the Rainbow Bridge to Canada gives the classic panorama.
- Wear the poncho you are given, and protect your phone in a waterproof pouch.
- Stay on the US side for nature and quiet; the Canadian side has more hotels and attractions.
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