Goat Island - The Island Between the Falls

A stop on Niagara Falls State Park Walk, a free self-guided tour.

You've been walking on it for an hour: Goat Island, the wooded wedge that splits the Niagara River in two. On one side the water goes over the American and Bridal Veil Falls, on the other the Horseshoe.

The name comes with a pioneer story. John Stedman is said to have kept goats here, and after the hard winter of 1780 only one was left. Old maps also called it Iris Island. Augustus Porter built a toll bridge out to it in 1817, and in 1885 it became part of the new state reservation.

Olmsted fought to keep these woods wild. He admired how the constant spray nursed an unusual mix of plants, and he wanted visitors to wander under the trees before the falls burst into view. Mowing, heavy foot traffic and invasive plants have changed the woods since then.

The island won't last forever. As the falls keep eating upstream, its western end slowly wears away. Take in the trees, then follow the path back across the bridges to finish where you started.

Getting here: Walk back from the Three Sisters along the paths through the Goat Island woods toward the bridges to the mainland.

Did you know?: Nobody lives on Goat Island, but it has grown: in 1959 and 1960 its eastern end was extended by about 8.5 acres for parking and a helicopter pad.

Photo op: Frame a woodland path with sunlight slanting through the trees, a quieter Niagara picture than the falls.

Nearby: Restrooms are near the Goat Island parking areas, and the Welcome Center has restrooms and concessions once you cross back.

More on Wikipedia: Goat Island · Frederick Law Olmsted · Niagara Falls State Park

Goat Island - The Island Between the Falls

Stops on this tour