Date of Visit: 16 Sep 19
Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls are on the 59-km long Niagara River which flows from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario.
The elevation difference between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario is 99m. It is this elevation difference combined with the enormous water flow that creates the magnificent Niagara Falls and allows clean and renewable hydroelectricity to be drawn through the Niagara power generating stations. An average of 6,000m³/second of water plunges over Niagara Falls.
The incredibly beautiful and dramatic Niagara Falls, with a height of 52m, is made up of three separate waterfalls: Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side, Bridal Veil Falls, and American Falls on the US side. All 3 Niagara Falls are viewable head-on from the Canadian side.
Horseshoe Falls
Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side is the largest, and the most iconic, and spectacular. The Canadian Horseshoe Falls carry 9 times more water than the Falls on the US side. The Canadian Horseshoe Falls are best observed from the Canadian side. The viewing platform gets you as close as 10m from Horseshoe Falls. No doubt you will be amazed at how much water flows down Horseshoe Falls.
Bridal Veil Falls and American Falls
On the US side, Bridal Veil Falls is 17m wide and is the smallest of the three. American Falls is 250m wide.
Hornblower Cruise – Journey to the Falls
This 20-minute Hornblower Cruise – Journey to the Falls boat tour is a must-do for anyone visiting Niagara Falls on the Canadian side. A similar boat tour is available on the US side.
The Journey to the Falls boat tour will let you enjoy the stunning close-up views of the Niagara Gorge, American Falls, and Bridal Veil Falls. And then the boat will bring you right to the centre of the Canadian Horseshoe Falls. You will see, hear and feel the thundering noise and power, and the amazing mist created by the impact of water plunging down the waterfall. The tremendous power of water movement rocks the boat and it will be hard to hold your camera or smartphone steady. If not given a protective recyclable mist poncho, you will be soaking wet. It will be a truly unique and interesting back-to-childhood experience full of fun. After the boat tour, everyone will disembark with a broad satisfying smile!
Watch this video to have a feel of the Niagara Falls Cruise experience.
Niagara Power Generating Stations
On the Canadian side, you can drive past Sir Adam Beck I and Sir Adam Beck II Power Generating Stations at the downstream of Niagara Falls.
Sir Adam Beck I was commissioned in 1922. At the time of its completion, it was the first large-scale hydroelectric generation project in the world. Remarkably, Sir Adam Beck I power Generation Station is almost 100 years old! Sir Adam Beck II was commissioned in 1954. Combined together Sir Adam Beck I and Sir Adam Beck II Power Generating Stations supply about 70% of Ontario’s annual power requirements.
On the US side, Robert Moses Generating Station is directly on the opposite side of Sir Adam Beck I and Sir Adam Beck II Power Generating Stations.
How best to experience Niagara Falls, on the Canadian side or the US side?
Everyone will have different opinions. For me, because I did not intend to stay overnight in the Niagara Falls area and that I knew all 3 Niagara Falls were viewable head-on from the Canadian side, I decided to see, hear and feel the spectacular power of the Falls on the Canadian side.
I drove from Toronto in the morning and returned to Toronto in the evening on the same day. It was a 2-hour drive one-way from Toronto to Niagara Falls. There are other ways to get to Niagara Falls.
If you have more time, you may want to stay overnight in the Niagara Falls area and see Niagara Falls from both the Canadian and the US sides. You may check out the official Canadian Niagara Falls website and the official US Niagara Falls website to know the wide range of activities to keep you occupied.
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The incredibly beautiful and dramatic Niagara Falls, with a height of 52m, is made up of three separate waterfalls: Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side, Bridal Veil Falls, and American Falls on the US side.