Niagara Falls State Park Walk
Photo: Ad Meskens, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
Niagara is loud, wet and bigger than any photo, and this walk takes you to the best places to feel it. You'll start at the park's Welcome Center, stand at the brink of the American Falls at Prospect Point, look back at the falls from the Observation Tower and the Maid of the Mist dock below it, then cross the bridges to Green Island and Goat Island. From there you'll visit Luna Island between two waterfalls, the Cave of the Winds, Terrapin Point beside the Horseshoe Falls and the Three Sisters Islands in the upper rapids, before looping back through the Goat Island woods.
Along the way you'll hear how the falls were carved, why they keep moving upstream, how they light up a region, and what happened the summer the American Falls went dry.
The loop is about 2.5 hours on foot with stops, on paved paths with some slopes. The Niagara Scenic Trolley can save your legs. The tower, boat and Cave of the Winds charge admission; check the park website for current hours and fees. Bring a layer you don't mind getting wet.
10 stops on this tour:
Welcome Center - Where Free Niagara Began
Prospect Point - Brink of the American Falls
Observation Tower - Rainbow Bridge View
Maid of the Mist Dock - Boats in the Gorge
Green Island Bridges - The Summer the Falls Went Dry
Luna Island - Between Two Waterfalls
Cave of the Winds - Into the Spray
Terrapin Point - Face to Face with the Horseshoe
Three Sisters Islands - Beside the Upper Rapids
Goat Island - The Island Between the Falls
Plan your visit
- Route: 10 stops · about 2.2 miles · walking, one way
- Time: about 2.5 hours at an easy pace, with stops
- Start: Welcome Center (directions)
- Cost: free tour
- Audio: narrated - tap ▶ Listen at the top of any stop
Stops on this tour
- Welcome Center - Where Free Niagara Began
- Prospect Point - Brink of the American Falls
- Observation Tower - Rainbow Bridge View
- Maid of the Mist Dock - Boats in the Gorge
- Green Island Bridges - The Summer the Falls Went Dry
- Luna Island - Between Two Waterfalls
- Cave of the Winds - Into the Spray
- Terrapin Point - Face to Face with the Horseshoe
- Three Sisters Islands - Beside the Upper Rapids
- Goat Island - The Island Between the Falls
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