photo by gusto

Niagara Falls is the most famous and most visited waterfall in the world. It is actually three falls, American and Bridal Veil Falls in New York, and Horseshoe Falls in Ontario, Canada. Niagara Falls is also the name of the city in Niagara County in western New York on the Niagara River, opposite Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. The city of Niagara Falls, New York (population of 59,800), is a major tourist center just north of Buffalo. The manufacture of chemicals, machines, and forest products, and the production of hydroelectric power also support the economy.

French explorer Samuel de Champlain visited the area in 1613 and, in 1678, Reverend Louis Hennepin, a Flemish monk, reported seeing the “incredible Cataract or Waterfall which has no equal.” The French built a fort here in 1745. The British captured the region in 1759. Daniel Chabert Joncaire built a sawmill on the upper river in 1757—the initiation of the falls as a power source. In 1806, the US settlement of Manchester was founded here. The War of 1812 took place here and, by 1848, the community was renamed Niagara for the Native American term “at the neck.”

The large volume of water plus the steep slope of the falls combined to power machines and mills throughout the nineteenth century. The first commercial-scale hydroelectric facility, the Edward Dean Adams Power Plant, opened on the US side in 1895. In 1950, the United States and Canada signed a treaty limiting the amount of water to be diverted for power generation. In 1958, the Canadians completed their Sir Adam Beck-Niagara generating stations, and in 1963 the United States completed the Robert Moses-Niagara Power Plant. Both are located about 4 miles below the falls. Water is diverted from just above the falls and conveyed by underground canals to turbines. Pollution from chemical waste dumped from 1947 to 1952 in the area around Love Canal led to an evacuation in the 1970s. The US government reopened the area after a 12-year cleanup.

Niagara Falls consist of two major cataracts, the Horseshoe, or Canadian Falls on the Canadian side of the river, with a height of 176 feet, and the American Falls on the US side, with a height of 182 feet. Goat Island, New York, separates the falls. Bridal Veil Falls is a small section of the American Falls near Goat Island.

The Horseshoe Falls are the most spectacular and forceful, with water from four of the Great Lakes—Superior, Huron, Michigan, and Erie—channeling to the Ontario. It carries nine times the water of the US cataract. The crescent-shaped (thus the name) Horseshoe Falls has a crestline of approximately 2,100 feet. The American Falls has a crestline of 1,075 feet.

Some 12,000 years ago as glaciers retreated north, huge torrents of water from Lake Erie gushed over the Niagara Escarpment, a ridge that extends across the northern Great Lakes region from Wisconsin across Ontario and New York, into what is now the Niagara River. Erosion from the torrents has slowly pushed the waterfall about 7 miles upstream, carving out the Niagara Gorge on its way. The Horseshoe Falls is receding at an average yearly rate of about 5 feet and the American Falls at an annual rate of 6 inches.

A good place to start is the Niagara Visitor Center in the New York State Niagara Reservation. The two main entrances are off the Robert Moses Parkway, one at Prospect Point, the other at Goat Island. This park was the first state park in the nation to open (1885) and receives 12 million visitors annually. The visitor center is behind Prospect Park and shows an introductory film. Viewmobiles depart from the visitor center and travel throughout the park from April to October; there is a small fee. The Observation Tower offers panoramic views from glassed-in elevators, which also travel down to the Maid of the Mist boat dock. The Maid of the Mist, also boarded from the Canadian side, takes visitors on 30-minute tours past the Bridal and American Falls and up to the edge of the thundering Horseshoe Falls. Waterproof jackets are included in the fare—but this in no way ensures a dry ride.

Prospect Point is on the brink of the American Falls, so you are able to look down into the falls and view the rainbows that form in the mist. Goat Island provides the closest view of the American Falls, and offers the Caves of the Winds excursion. This is a guided walking tour down into the base of Bridal Falls. The last stop of the tour, Hurricane Deck, is 25 feet from the falls. Tickets are reasonable, and waterproof jackets are provided. Three Sisters Islands flank Goat Island and are open to the public. The Great Lakes Garden includes a scaled replica of the Great Lakes region. Schoellkopf Geological Museum, at the park’s northern end, offers a description of the 435-million-year history of the Niagara Gorge and the 12,000 years of the falls’ history.

The Aquarium, in downtown Niagara Falls, hosts marine mammals, sea lions, fish, and other creatures. There is a small entrance fee. The Niagara Splash Water Park offers water slides, a wave pool, remote control boats, and a sandy “beach.” There is a modest admission fee. Wintergarden is a seven-story, indoor tropical garden a short walk from the park. Entrance is free. The Rainbow Center Mall adjoins it and offers fast food and souvenir shops. Cross to the Canadian side for the best view of Horseshoe Falls.

While you are on the Canadian side, take advantage of the most spectacular, riveting, thrilling, awe-inspiring and comprehensive tour available—in a helicopter. Lodging is plentiful in this popular area or in nearby Buffalo. The closer the falls, the higher the room rate. Most restaurants in the area cater strictly to tourists.

Canada’s first capital, Niagara-on-the-Lake, is 7 miles from the Lewiston Bridge. A charming, historic community, it offers quaint to luxurious lodging and dining, and is surrounded by some famous Canadian wineries. One of these, Inniskillin, is renowned for its Ice Wine. Many wineries have restaurants offering fresh regional cuisine.

From Niagara Falls, it is possible to drive north along the Robert Moses Parkway and visit Whirlpool State Park and Devil’s Hole State Park along the lower rapids. Both parks offer hiking trails. Continue on to the Niagara Power Project Visitor Center on Lewiston Road, which offers computer games, displays, and paintings that illustrate the history of electricity. This is one of the largest hydroelectric power projects in the world. Entrance is free.

From here, drive onto the Seaway Trail, one of the top 20 most scenic highways in the country. It follows the coast from the St Lawrence River past the Thousand Islands to Lake Ontario, and then along Lake Ontario, the Niagara River, and Lake Erie. Buffalo International Airport serves the Buffalo- Niagara area and buses serve Buffalo. The Rainbow Bridge connects the two cities. Daily bus tours take in both sides but downtown Niagara Falls and major sights are accessible on foot.