Niagara Falls

ErichSpiez's picture

Location

Ontario
Canada
43° 4' 42.996" N, 79° 4' 34.968" W
CA
General info: 

An unstoppable flow of rushing water surges over the edge with thunderous force. The mist rises for hundreds of meters as the waters collide. Niagara is not the tallest waterfall but it is the most powerful one in North America and among the three most powerful ones on the globe. Every second a whopping 7000 cubic meters (or more than a million bathtubs) of water plummets downward.

Despite the raw power of the falls, they are one of the easiest to access and view from all sorts of angles. The Niagara Falls consist of three separate waterfalls. From largest to smallest they are the Horseshoe Falls, the American Falls and the Bridal Veil Falls.

The natural beauty of the Niagara Falls can sometimes be forgot due to the huge tourist industry around it. Nevertheless, these are one of the most spectacular natural wonders of the world.

Getting there: 

OWN CAR
There are several parking lots on Canadian and US sides. Parking costs $3 to $20 a day on either side of the falls.

BUS
The Bus Station is right across the street from the Amtrak station, about 3km from the falls. 4555 Erie Ave; 7am-10:30pm. There are several daily connections to Niagara Falls from the major cities.

TRAIN
Amtrak station is about 3km from the falls. Daily trains from Niagara Falls to Buffalo, Toronto and New York City ($63, nine hours).

PLANE
Niagara Airbus connects Niagara Falls to airports in Toronto($62 - 1½ hours) and Buffalo ($71 - 1½ hours) with frequent door-to-door coach service.

Costs: 

On Canadian side there is no fee to see the falls. On the US side the Niagara Falls State Park entrance fee is $36 for adults and $29 for children. 5 yrs and under for free.

There are loads of different activities around. Some examples with prices:
Maid of the Mist Steamboat cruise- Adults $17.00 US - Children $9.90 US
Grand Lady Lunch Cruise - Adults $45.00 Children $23.00
Rainbow Air Helicopter - 10 minute flight - Adults $105 US - Child $90 US (minimum two per flight)

Interesting places nearby

You'll find Otis Ridge on Route 23 just west of the town of Otis. The area, opened in 1947, has over 50 years of experience to offer skiers/riders. Day and night skiing are available with almost 100 percent snowmaking capacity.

Owl’s Head is a ski resort located in the Eastern Townships of Quebec.

Mt. Brighton has long been a favorite of Detroit area skiers and riders, but has become a particular favorite with snowboarders.

Mount Holiday, formed in 1949, is located in Traverse City, MI and is a community nonprofit recreation area for skiers and snowboarders.

Mt. Holly is located one hour north of Detroit in the Groveland Valley and tends to have a longer front and back end to its season than other areas in the region. There are 350 vertical feet of skiing and riding.

Mt. Peter, with a vertical of 400 feet, has 69 day/night skiable acres. The runs are almost equally divided between beginner (30 percent), intermediate (35 percent) and advanced (35 percent).