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

BASE: 1750ft
SUMMIT: 3200ft
VERTICAL DROP: 1750ft

NO. OF. LIFTS: 3
Gondolas: 0
Chairs: 2
Surface: 2

Bittersweet in Otsego has night skiing, snowmaking and a solid lift capacity. The vertical is 300 feet and the staff is friendly and welcoming. Snowboarding is available on all slopes.

Black Mountain, located in Jackson, NH, has skiing and snowboarding for all abilities and age levels.

Blandford Ski Area, which opened in 1936, has over 60 years of experience to offer its guests this season.

BASE: 326ft
SUMMIT: 635ft
VERTICAL DROP: 309ft

NO. OF. LIFTS: 4
Gondolas: 0
Chairs: 1
Surface: 3

Blue Knob offers 100 skiable acres, with a vertical of 1,072 feet. You will find 34 runs serviced by five lifts including two doubles, two triples and one surface lift. They offer 42 acres of night skiing.