February 3, 2020, 5:45 am | Read time: 5 minutes
Niagara Falls is on the bucket list of many travelers, as it is one of the most famous and impressive waterfalls in the world. However, it is truly breathtaking from only one side–according to our author Anna Wengel. She has written about which side that is and what else visitors should know about the gigantic waterfalls.
Somehow, I imagined them to be bigger. And rounder. Somehow more spectacular.
I’m standing with my friend on the Niagara Falls Observation Tower, thinking I have the best view of the falls from here. Beautiful, certainly impressive, but somehow not as much as I expected. I explain my muted enthusiasm by thinking that perhaps I’ve seen too many breathtaking waterfalls. Maybe one can get used to natural beauty when traveling a lot, I ponder–and fortunately, I will be proven wrong.
The sun is slowly setting as we walk over a small bridge to Goat Island. Torrents of water rush beneath us, and tourists stream past in both directions. Then we stand at the Luna Island viewpoint and are a bit more impressed. Right in front of us, the water roars down loudly. I think of a Pippi Longstocking episode where she rides a river in a wooden barrel–and I wonder how many people have tried that here. Niagara Falls Live lists 15 so-called “Daredevils of Niagara Falls,” or simply “Niagara Daredevils,” people who willingly conquered the falls in a barrel or similar, without aids or by balancing on a rope. Many of them survived. The first person to successfully go over the falls in a barrel was Annie Taylor on October 24, 1901.
Attempting to go over Niagara Falls in any form is not only extremely dangerous but also illegal and is punished with hefty fines. Besides the daredevils, there are also many people who take their lives at Niagara Falls. According to an article by the Swiss publication “Blick,” about 25 people commit suicide here each year.
Canada Has the Better View
Somehow, Niagara Falls and my lukewarm enthusiasm for them won’t let me go. I love waterfalls–and I want to find these truly amazing. In the evening, we drove over the Rainbow International Bridge to Canada. So, the next morning, we return to the falls, this time on the Canadian side.
Walking down a small path from Portage Road, I can already sense through the bushes ahead of me that this time will be more exciting. Once at the bottom, I see the extent of the water masses. A vast field of roaring water lies before me. It rushes noisily forward. Within it is the famous Niagara Scow, a shipwreck that has been here since 1918. The falls themselves can only be heard and guessed at so far. My gaze drifts to the left. I have to grin at this already beautiful natural kitsch: A rainbow paints the air, marking the nearby precipice. That’s where I want to go now.
Also interesting: Famous shipwreck “Iron Scow” moves closer to the edge of Niagara Falls
I walk along the asphalt path by the water. Only a thick stone wall separates me from the seemingly ever-quickening water masses. And then it’s there, right next to me, the precipice makes the familiar curve. Tons of water rush down the 57-meter-high Horseshoes–2.2 million liters per second for the entire Niagara Falls, by the way. I’ve seen it in pictures over and over. The reality is more impressive. This is what I had been waiting for. My face can’t stop grinning as the mist makes it wetter and wetter. Like hundreds of other tourists beside me, I can only marvel and snap photos, marvel and snap photos. Everyone takes the same picture here–and given this immense natural beauty, I think there can’t be too many pictures.
Niagara Falls: Getting There, Prices, Border Crossing
Now that we’ve established that Canada clearly has the more breathtaking side of Niagara Falls, I want to address a few questions we had. For example, how to get there and whether it costs anything.
In our case, the first question goes hand in hand with the second. We drove from New York City to the falls. There are several parking options further along the way; we drove to the last parking lot (Niagara Falls Visitor Center Parking Lot 1) and paid ten dollars. This allowed us to stay all day. According to the Niagara Falls State Parks website, the other three parking lots on Goat Island near Cave of the Winds and near Three Sisters Islands, as well as at the Niagara Gorge Discovery Center, cost the same. We didn’t have to pay an entrance fee to see the falls, neither on the U.S. nor on the Canadian side. There are additional parking spaces in the city within walking distance. There is also a shuttle service. The nearest airport on the U.S. side is Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF).
On the Canadian side, there are also various parking options at different prices. More information is available on the Niagara Falls Canada website. In the surrounding area, you can also find some free parking options, such as on Portage Road across from Nugahas-Nahte Park. And for those driving from the U.S. to Canada, don’t be alarmed: The Canadian side of Niagara Falls has a bit of a feel of a poor, small-scale copy of Las Vegas. When looking at the falls themselves, however, the hotels and casinos are behind you. Crossing into Canada by car is very relaxed. Show your passport, answer a question about how long you plan to stay, and you’re done. Welcome to Canada.