Niagara Falls: The Falls
Niagara Falls comprises three distinct cataracts. The tallest are the American and Bridal Veil falls on the American side, separated by tiny Luna Island and plunging over jagged rocks in a 180ft drop; the broad Horseshoe Falls which curve their way over to Canada are probably the most impressive. They date back a mere twelve thousand years, when the retreat of melting glaciers allowed water trapped in Lake Erie to gush north to Lake Ontario. Back then the falls were seven miles down river, but constant erosion has cut them back to their present site. The falls are colorfully lit up at night, and many say they're most beautiful in winter, when the grounds are covered in snow and the waters turn to ice.Getting around Niagara Falls State Park is easy, thanks to the convenient but tacky viewmobile trolley ($4.50) which connects all car parks and the major sightseeing points. The best views on the American side are from the Prospect Point Observation Tower (daily 10am-5pm; 50¢), and from the area at its base where the water rushes past; Terrapin Point on Goat Island in the middle of the river has similar views of Horseshoe Falls. The nineteenth-century tightrope-walker Blondin crossed the Niagara repeatedly near here, and even carried passengers across on his back; other suicidal fools over the years have taken the plunge in barrels. The reasons such craziness has long been banned become self-evident when you approach the towering cascade on the not-to-be-missed Maid of the Mist boat trip from the foot of the observation tower (April-Oct Mon-Fri 10am-6pm every 30 mins, Sat & Sun 10am-6pm every 15 mins; $8.50; tel 716/284-4233). From Goat Island, the Cave of the Winds tour leads down to the base of the falls by elevator to within almost touching distance of the water and offers a magical nighttime view as it runs well into the evening (mid-May to late Oct; $6; tel 716/278-1730). A combination pass for these and other attractions costs $24. Rainbow helicopter tours (tel 716/284-2800) are a more expensive proposition at $50 per person for a ten-minute ride. To check the view out from Niagara, Ontario, it's a twenty-minute walk across the Rainbow Bridge to the Canadian side (25¢ each way; bring ID and check with the US Immigration officials before heading across), where you get an arguably better view, bigger crowds and even more tawdry commercialism. Driving across is inadvisable: the toll for a car is just 75¢, but parking on the other side can cost more than $15.
As you look on in awe, reflect that you're seeing only about half the volume of water - the rest is diverted to hydroelectric power stations. The full story of this engineering feat is related at the free Niagara Power Project Visitors Center in nearby Lewiston (daily 9am-5pm; free; tel 716/285-3211). With your own transportation it's also possible to trace the inhospitable Niagara Gorge two miles along the dramatic Robert Moses Parkway to the Whirlpool Rapids , a violent maelstrom swollen by broken trees and other flotsam. Ten miles east of Niagara Falls, the town of LOCKPORT takes its name from the series of locks that raise and lower boats some 65ft at the western end of the Erie Canal. You can see the impressive flight of locks from the Pine Street Bridge, or up close on canal boat tours (May-Oct daily at 12.30pm & 3pm, also 10am on Sat, June-Aug additional daily tours at 10am & 7pm; $11.50; tel 716/693-3260).
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