Horseshoe Falls, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada (Robert Linsdell / flickr.com) American Falls and Veil, USA, New York State (Richie Diesterheft / flickr.com) View of the Horseshoe - part of Niagara Falls. (snowgen / flickr.com) LUIS ANGEL CAMARGO / flickr.com Joe deSousa / flickr.com paul bica / flickr.com Aerial view of Niagara (Doc Searls / flickr.com) Veil Falls to the right of American Falls (Robert Linsdell / flickr .com) Veil Falls, Niagara Falls, NY (GreggMP / flickr.com) American Falls, Observation Tower and Rainbow Bridge (Kimon Berlin / flickr.com) On the way to American Falls and Veil (Morgan Paul / flickr. com) View from the stairs on the way to the observation deck (rizha ubal / flickr.com) Niagara Falls - view from the stairs on the way to the observation deck (Rosalba Tarazona / flickr.com) Maid of the Mist walk to the base of the falls (Joe deSousa / flickr.com) Niagara Falls Cascade (Jason Pratt / flickr.com) Horseshoe Falls, Niagara Falls (Arian Zwegers / flickr.com) Boat view (Nic Redhead / flickr.com) American Falls (Robert Linsdell / flickr.com) ) Niagara River (Ken Lund / flickr.com)
Niagara Falls is one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the world, along with Victoria and Iguazu. In fact, this is not one waterfall, but a whole chain of cascades that belong to both the United States and Canada.
Niagara Falls (or Niagara) includes 3 waterfalls that have very powerful streams of water falling from great heights.
Their names are: American Falls, Horseshoe and Veil.
According to one version, "Niagara" means "the roar of water." In another version, the name comes from the name of the Iroquois tribe - Ongiara. A rough translation of it is “forked earth”.
The height of all three waterfalls is approximately equal and averages 53 meters.
American Falls and Veil - view from the stairs on the way to the observation deck (Rosalba Tarazona / flickr.com)
At the American Falls (USA, New York), the overall height is significantly hidden by the heap of stones located below, which arose due to a landslide in the middle of the last century. Visually, its height is 21 meters.
In width, the Horseshoe Falls (Canada) is leading - 792 meters, it also takes on the maximum volume of water (90%). While the width of the American Falls is approximately half that - 323 meters.
The huge volume of water that rushes through Niagara in this section every second is 5,700 cubic meters. The noise from the roaring water is so great that it is impossible to talk near. And the water dust from it spreads over a long distance.
Veil Falls (USA), 17 meters wide and 25 meters high, of course, is inferior in size to the two previous giants.
Where is Niagara Falls located? Location of Niagara Falls
The Niagara River runs along the border of two vast countries of the continent, thus dividing the province of Ontario in Canada and the state of New York.
Airplane view of Niagara (Doc Searls / flickr.com)
Niagara connects the two Great Lakes of the continent - Erie with Ontario. Its channel stretches for 56 kilometers. It takes its source in Lake Erie, flows for the most part in a northerly direction.
Closer to the source, the current is divided by islands. On the US side, this is Grand Island; on the Canadian side, N'vi Island. Niagara carries its waters into Lake Ontario.
Niagara Falls on the map is located on the border of two countries - the USA and Canada. The waterfall is located in the middle part of the Niagara and is especially beautiful from the coast of Canada.
Slightly upstream is Goat Island, which cuts the Niagara River into two parts. To the west of the island is the Canadian Horseshoe Falls, and to the east are the American and Bridal Falls. The latter is separated from the American one by a very small island called the Moon.
Panorama of Niagara - American and Canadian Falls, Ontario, Canada (Robert Linsdell / flickr.com)
Location of Niagara Falls on the map
Discovery history
There are different opinions about who first discovered Niagara Falls.
In 1604, there was an expedition led by the Frenchman Samuel de Chamlin. But it was not the leader himself who saw Niagara Falls, but one of the members of his expedition spoke about the majestic creation of nature. The Frenchman entered this description in a journal.
Then detailed description Niagara was made by Per Calm at the beginning of the 18th century. But according to some reports, the priest of the Catholic faith, Louis Hennipen, made a qualitative description of these waterfalls earlier - in the winter of 1677-1678. Together with the French expedition, with the aim of missionary activity among the Iroquois tribe, and the explorer René Lasalle.
Waterfall development
In the middle of the 18th century, attempts began for the first time to somehow use the power of the Niagara Falls. In 1759 Den Jonkers dug a small canal to power his own sawmill. Soon this territory was bought out and the water power was already used for the mill.
The Niagara River and, accordingly, its falls became the border between the United States and Canada after the American Civil War of Independence.
American Falls, Observation Tower and Rainbow Bridge (Kimon Berlin / flickr.com)
In 1848, when Niagara Falls gained popularity in the United States of America and Canada, the first bridge was built for pedestrians. Designed by Charles Ellet.
Later, this bridge was replaced by the creation of the architect Rombling, the future author of a similar structure in Brooklyn.
And in 1897, an arched bridge was built on this site, mainly from metal structures. It was already pedestrian and for road and rail transport.
The power station was built here for the first time in 1881. Niagara began to provide energy to the nearest settlements. The power plant was constantly subjected to improvements. But it existed until 1951, when it was destroyed by another landslide. The authorities of the United States of America built a new one 10 years later, and at that time it was the largest power plant in the world.
Pass Niagara Falls in a barrel and stay alive
In 1901, teacher Taylor from the United States in a barrel went through Niagara Falls and managed to survive.
Bobby Leach with a barrel after passing Niagara Falls
She wanted to celebrate her 63rd birthday this way. After she tried this trick on her cat, she decided to take this step herself.
How many followers Annie would have in the future, she herself did not know. But not everyone is as lucky as her. For example, American Falls (New York State) no one managed to get through alive because of the heap of boulders.
However, this way of crossing Niagara Falls is considered illegal in both the US and Canada.
Attempts to save the falls
As tourism boomed, some businessmen took over the profitable lands near Niagara. To prevent this, a movement called "Free Niagara" was created.
Letters were sent to newspapers in the cities of New York and Boston. In this way, the public was influenced, and in 1885 the state of New York gradually bought these lands from their owners.
Since the waterfall was constantly moving south, in the 20th century an agreement was reached between neighboring countries on actions to reduce the full flow of the waterfall.
In 1969, Niagara was launched in a different direction. As a result of this, American Falls was completely drained. Part of the water was taken over by the Horseshoe Falls. This was necessary to create a stone slope and an earthen dam. After some time, Niagara again returned to its course.
How did Niagara Falls come about?
The formation of Niagara Falls is closely related to the Wisconsin glaciation. The Ice Age, which ended 6,000 years ago, greatly affected the entire modern northern territory of the North American continent.
Niagara River (Ken Lund / flickr.com)
The glacier, like a huge shield, was sliding down from the eastern part of modern Canada. For many years he cultivated and modified the surface of this land, in some places he carried stones, expanded the channels of rivers and formed basins of lakes.
On the contrary, he blocked some channels with his glacial deposits, so that the rivers then paved their way again.
When the glacier melted, it filled the Great American Lakes with water: Superior, Michigan, Erie, Huron, Ontario. And the water from the large Lake Erie, began to gradually pave the way for the Niagara River.
The area where the channel is located is characterized by soft rocks occurring in two layers. The upper layer is made up of limestones, and the lower layer is composed of even more unstable shales, with limestone veins.
View from the pleasure boat (Nic Redhead / flickr.com)
All these rocks were formed in the early and late Silurian. The instability of the rocks allowed the river to create such a large ledge, cut deep into the plain, reaching a solid foundation.
The lower part of the Niagara Valley is composed of sandstones and shales of Ordovician age. All these are sedimentary deposits of the ancient sea, which covered this territory.
Niagara Falls is still moving upstream as a result of water erosion. In 10,900 years it has moved several miles south. It is estimated that in 50,000 years Niagara Falls will shift to the part of the river where it flows out of Lake Erie. By then it will cease to exist.
Niagara Falls is one of the most beautiful sights in the United States and Canada, and throughout the world, to which you can make a one-day tour from New York, Ottawa and Toronto.
Niagara Falls was lucky to be located on the border of the largest American states - the USA and Canada, which, naturally, contributed to the transformation of Niagara into the most famous waterfall in the world, where crowds of tourists flock every year. Although at the same time, in terms of its parameters, for example, in height, it is inferior to many other waterfalls, but you can’t refuse it in popularity and publicity. It is also not the widest waterfall in the world, but Niagara Falls is the most powerful in North America in terms of the volume of water passing through it (about 5700 or more m3 / s).
Niagara Falls, where the border of the two Great Lakes (Erie and Ontario) is located, actually consists of three separate falls - American Falls, Veil Falls and Horseshoe Falls, which is often called Canadian Falls due to the fact that it is located on the territory of this country. The height of Niagara Falls in the American part is 51 meters, and the height of free fall is only 20 meters due to the large number of rocks. But it is quite wide - 330 meters. However, this does not compare with the most impressive Horseshoe Falls, whose width, due to a beautiful bend, reaches 790 meters. The height of Niagara Falls in the Canadian part is 49 meters. Canadian and American waterfalls are separated by Goat Island with observation decks, alleys, souvenir shops and a monument to Nikola Tesla. The third and smallest waterfall is Fata waterfall. It is rather narrow and is separated from the American one by a small island called the Silver Island. Through the gorge, through which the waters of Niagara flow, the beautiful Rainbow Bridge, built in 1941 and linking Canada and the United States, is thrown.
An interesting event occurred in 1911, when, due to unprecedented frosts, Niagara Falls completely froze and turned into a huge block of ice, which numerous tourists who came to see this amazing phenomenon tried to climb.
The name Niagara comes from the old Iroquoian word "Onguiaahra", which is commonly believed to mean "Thunder of Water". The Western world learned about the existence of the waterfall thanks to the explorer Father Louis Ennepin, who described it in 1677 during one of his travels. And after a couple of centuries, in connection with the emerging fashion for tourism, Niagara Falls began to be actively visited, which led to the development of this area. In particular, thanks to the efforts of the great Nikola Tesla, a power plant was built. Today, Niagara continues to attract crowds of tourists. The majority of visitors on the American side are Indians. In recent years, there has been a massive influx of Indians into the city of Niagara Falls, which today is filled with Indian food restaurants, souvenir shops, etc.
Over the past 150 years, Niagara has managed to attract (and destroy) a lot of crazy people who dreamed of conquering the stormy elements. So, the first to survive after jumping from a waterfall in 1829 was a certain Sam Patch. Another trend was barrel jumping. For the first time, 63-year-old Annie Taylor managed to do this and stay alive in 1901. Shows of tightrope walkers were popular right above the gorge, where the waters of Niagara rush. Miracles have also happened at the waterfall - for example, in 1960, a 7-year-old boy, Roger Woodward, fell into the Horseshoe Falls. Despite the fact that he was wearing only a life jacket, the boy miraculously survived and was pulled aboard the ship Maid of the mist. In any case, when visiting the waterfall, you should follow basic safety rules, as the waters in this place are very rough and dangerous. But in no case is it recommended to deny yourself the pleasure of enjoying such a spectacular sight as Niagara Falls. There is a wonderful observation deck protruding from the rock on the American side. In addition, a special elevator leads from it to the river bank to the pier of tourist boats Maid if the mist. Ships have been plying the Niagara area since 1846. To date, the cost of the trip is 13 dollars, but it's worth it. The main thing is not to forget to take raincoats from the company’s employees, otherwise the tourist will get wet to the skin with absolute probability, as the boats come quite close to the waterfalls. This is especially true of the stormy Horseshoe Falls.
Excursions to Niagara Falls
Tourists should recommend a boat trip to the waterfall with the Maid of the Mist tour. Guests are shown the top of the gorge and the beginning of the Horseshoe Falls, where you can see rainbows created by the sun and mist. All sightseers receive yellow hooded raincoats and goggles, as there is zero chance of staying dry during the trip.
Another one interesting excursion Journey Behind the Falls: guests are taken to three tunnels on a special elevator, from which a stunning view of the falling streams of water opens up.
No less memorable sensations can be experienced by rising over Niagara Falls in a hot air balloon or jet boat.
Whirlpool Jet Boat Tours organizes Jet Boat Tours of the Devil's Hole Rapids from June 22 to September 2. Everyone is provided with life jackets.
Niagara Falls - panorama, online tour on Google Maps
Video, Niagara Falls from above
Inhaling the humid fresh air emanating from Niagara Falls, you understand what a small and insignificant link a person is against the forces of nature.
Niagara Falls is the second largest waterfall in the world after Victoria Falls in South Africa. The Niagara Falls complex is located in the state of New York and the province of Ontario. Despite the fact that many people are accustomed to colloquially using Niagara Falls in the singular, in fact, several waterfalls are meant by Niagara Falls:
- Canadian Falls or Horseshoe Falls
- american waterfall
- Waterfall "Veil"
The foot of the American Falls is cluttered with stones, which is why the apparent height of the water fall is just over 21 meters, the width of the American Falls is 323 meters, and the volume of falling water is 567,811 liters per second.
The Canadian waterfall in all respects significantly exceeds its American relative, the width of the waterfall is 792 meters, the height is 53.6 meters, the volume of falling water is 2,271,247 liters per second.
Veil Falls is the smallest of the Niagara Falls group. From the American Falls "Fatu" is separated by a small island, called the Moon (Luna Island). The waterfall is 17 meters wide and 24 meters high.
Most of the Niagara River does not fall into the zone of the falls, this is due to the fact that 50-75% of the water passes through 4 special tunnels built for several hydroelectric power plants. After passing through hydroelectric power plants, the water returns to the river, only below the waterfalls. Thus, the use of water by hydroelectric power plants significantly affects the volume of water flowing before falling from the Niagara Escarpment. If hydroelectric power plants did not take water from the river, then the noise of falling water would be much louder. The time of year also affects the amount of falling water. The largest flow occurs during the daytime, during the peak tourist season (June, July and August). It is noteworthy that in the event of an emergency, the flow of water can be reduced by increasing its consumption by hydroelectric power plants.
History of Niagara Falls
18 thousand years ago, the province of Ontario was covered with ice 2-3 kilometers thick. With the movement of glaciers to the south, the Great Lakes and the Niagara River were formed in this place.
12.5 thousand years ago, the glaciers retreated to the north. From the melt water, Lakes Erie and Ontario were formed, as well as the St. Lawrence and Niagara rivers. At the same time, 5 waterfalls appeared flowing into Lake Ontario from Lake Erie, later there were 3 waterfalls. It is noteworthy that the Niagara River is more than 12 thousand years old, however, the Niagara Escarpment, which was created as a result of erosion, is much older than the river.
One fifth of the world's fresh water is located in the five Great Lakes located in the United States and Canada. The four upper lakes: Michigan, Huron, Superior and Erie flow into Niagara. After 24 kilometers, the water reaches the fifth Great Lake - Ontario, forming a spectacular fall from about a 20-story building. This place is known as the "Niagara Escarpment".
Approximately 500 years ago, Niagara collided with a piece of land that split it into two channels. After a goat herd froze on this land in the winter of 1780, this place began to be called the “Goat Island”.
The flow of water on the American side of the falls is much weaker, because. it is stopped by "Goat Island" while Canada's Horseshoe Falls has no obstacles.
Does Niagara Falls freeze in winter?
Niagara Falls never completely freezes over, but falling water and fog create ice formations on the banks of the falls and river. This results in a mound of ice 15-17 meters thick. If winters are cold and frosts persist for long periods, then ice can run across the entire river, forming an "ice bridge" that extends several miles downriver.
On March 29, 1848, the flow of the water of Niagara Falls was completely stopped due to the formation of an ice plug in the upper part of the river. In such an unusual state, the waterfall stayed for several hours. This is the only known case when water stopped flowing from the Niagara Escarpment.
On February 24, 1888, about 20,000 people descended on the "ice bridge" to look down on the waterfall. On February 4, 1912, the ice bridge cracked, killing three people.
Interesting facts about Niagara Falls
In 1969, American Falls was completely shut down for several months. Niagara was allowed to go along a different channel, having built a temporary dam for this. Such complex work was done in order to remove loose rock at the base of the falls, as well as to remove fallen stones from the bottom of Niagara, thus making the appearance of the falls even more spectacular. In November 1969, the dam was destroyed, and the flow of water returned to its original course.
The word "Niagara" comes from the Indian word of the Iroquois tribe "Onguiaahra" meaning "strait".
At night, the waterfall is illuminated by powerful multi-colored spotlights, giving it a unique look.
The first person to survive the descent from Niagara Falls was 63-year-old Annie Taylor. In 1901, she threw herself down a waterfall in a closed barrel.
Twenty percent of the world's fresh water is in the Great Lakes, most of which run through Niagara Falls.
Niagara Falls has been a popular destination since the early 19th century. Tourists came to look at this miracle of nature not only from North America, but also from Asia and Europe. To date, Niagara Falls attracts over 12 million tourists annually.
Due to soil erosion, the slopes of the waterfalls slowly move upstream. Now the speed of such movement is 30 cm per year. Scientists and engineers are actively working on this problem, because. if the waterfall recedes to the high rapids of Niagara, then its height will increase by 15 meters, which in turn will increase the pressure on the bottom and accelerate erosion.
Let's hope that scientists will cope with this problem, because. I would like to preserve this beauty for future generations.
Niagara Falls is the most famous waterfall in the world, and deservedly so - because the spectacle is simply indescribable ...
It is one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the world, along with the African Victoria Falls and the Argentine monster Iguazu. It is located on the border between the USA and Canada, and it is interesting that the water falls from the territory of the USA, but it is visible from Canada, that is, Canadians earn money on the spectacle :) The Rainbow Bridge is thrown downstream, open for the movement of cars and pedestrians between two countries
The roar of the waterfall is heard at a distance of many kilometers, especially at night, so a person standing near Niagara itself does not hear anything (hence the name came from, because in Indian "Niagara -" thundering water ")
An Indian legend tells of a beautiful girl, Lelavalai, who was betrothed by her father to an Indian warrior whom she disliked and despised. She preferred marriage to sacrifice herself to her true love, the god of thunder He-No, who lived in a cave under the Horseshoe Falls. She steered her canoe into the swift flow of the Niagara River and threw herself from the top of a waterfall. He-No caught her on the fly, and since that time their souls began to live together in the sanctuary of the God of Thunder under the waterfall.
Actually Niagara Falls is a common name of three waterfalls on the Niagara River, which separates the US state of New York from the Canadian province of Ontario. Two waterfalls delight tourists, and the third - electric power engineers :) Niagara Falls are the Horseshoe Falls, sometimes also called the Canadian Falls, the American Falls and the Veil Falls. Although the height difference is not very large, the falls are very wide, and in terms of the volume of water passing through it, Niagara Falls is the most powerful in North America.
Already in 1881, nearby villages were illuminated due to the generated energy of the waterfall. And then, giant underground pipelines were created, connected to turbines, the energy of which was enough to supply the American city of Buffalo located 32 kilometers away. At the moment, power plants generate up to 4.4 gigawatts of electricity
In October 1829, Sam Patch, who called himself a Yankee Leaper, jumped from Horseshoe Falls and became the first known person to survive the fall. This started a long tradition of daredevils trying to get through the falls and stay alive. In 1901, 63-year-old Annie Taylor became the first person to throw herself from a waterfall in a barrel and survive. Since then, 14 other people have deliberately tried to get through the falls. Some survived, others either drowned or were seriously maimed. Survivors were subject to heavy fines due to violations of the law, both Canadian and American.
Another interesting fact. Due to erosion, the waterfalls gradually changed the shape of the channel, and in 1969, in order to carry out work to strengthen the slopes at the top of the waterfall, the river was completely let in another channel and Niagara Falls remained dry for several months.
When cars pass by this miracle, they deliberately slow down, almost to the speed of a pedestrian. Above and below the waterfall along the river, for the convenience of tourists, bridges were built to admire the grandiose spectacle. Tourists, fascinated by the witchcraft of the phenomenon, do not take their eyes off the waterfall
At night, a stunning illumination lights up. The game of the elements is so impressive that huge crowds of tourists watch it for hours without moving.
Niagara has dozens of multi-colored floodlights with a total capacity of 1.5 million kW. As soon as it gets dark, their rays are directed to the continuously moving wall of the waterfall and, creating a fabulous illumination, enhance the already impressive picture.
The height of the waterfalls Niagara is 53 meters. The foot of the American Falls is obscured by a heap of stones, which is why its apparent height is only 21 meters. The width of the American Falls is 323 meters, the Horseshoe Falls is 792 meters. The volume of falling water reaches 5720 m 3 / s
The total width of the Niagara Falls exceeds 1200 m - this is the fifth largest waterfall in the world in terms of the width of the falling water front.
In clear weather, the rays of the sun, refracted in the smallest drops of water, form a seven-color rainbow. There are several of them, often one inside the other.
Niagara, like any other waterfall, looks different depending not only on the time of day, but also on the season. In spring and summer, the boiling white curtain is set off by lush greenery, in autumn - crimson colors. In winter, only the edges of the river freeze. From the rocks-protrusions of the ridge, huge ice flows, the size of a factory chimney, gradually freeze over - giant "icicles" sparkling with diamonds against the background of raging water. “Pipes” is not a metaphor. The “icicles” of frozen waterfalls are really hollow inside, and through their transparent walls you can watch how the water falls, pulsates and beats, resisting freezing.
A formidable picture at Niagara Falls unfolds in early spring, during the ice drift
Huge ice floes, like icebergs, shatter with a roar and rumble and disappear into its bottomless abyss ...
Niagara is famous all over the world; up to 16 million tourists visit it every year. Hotels, motels, observation towers, a cableway were built around the waterfall, even two cities with the same name grew up - Niagara Falls, only one of them is Canadian, with 100 thousand inhabitants, and the other is American, with 50 thousand)
Scientists have determined that every year it moves upstream by one meter. It is believed that the waterfall has existed for about 50 thousand years and during this time it has moved upstream by about 10 kilometers. Based on this, in 20 thousand years the waterfall will come close to Lake Erie and disappear, and along with its disappearance, the lake will also dry up ...
One of the most beautiful natural phenomena in the world is Niagara Falls. It captivates with its majesty and power. Hundreds of travelers from all over the world come every day to where this amazing and unique natural monument is located.
General information about Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls is a complex of three waterfalls. It is located on the border of two states: the USA (state of New York) and Canada (province of Ontario) on the river of the same name. The coordinates of this place are 43.0834 degrees north latitude and 79.0663 degrees west longitude. The waterfall connects the lakes that are part of the North American Great Lakes system: Erie and Ontario. On the coast of the Niagara River, near the falls on both countries' sides, there are two cities with the same name Niagara Falls. 
Going to Niagara Falls, you should think over your route in advance, as there are two ways to get here: by flying to New York, or to the Canadian city of Toronto. Excursions are organized from both cities, but it is not at all necessary to take them, since you can also get there on your own by regular buses.
Each of the three Niagara cascades has its own name. The waterfalls located in the United States are referred to as "American" and "Veil". Horseshoe Falls is located in Canada. 
Water cascades rush down from a height of just over 50 meters, but the visible part is only 21 meters due to the heap of stones at the foot. Niagara is not one of the highest waterfalls in the world, but due to the huge volumes of water passing through it, it is considered one of the most powerful on Earth. In one second, it passes through itself more than 5.5 thousand cubic meters of water. The width of the waterfall "Horseshoe" is 792 meters, "American" - 323 meters. 
The climate in the area of the waterfall is temperate continental. In summer it is quite warm, and sometimes hot, in winter the temperature is below zero, and the waterfall partially freezes. You can come here all year round, because in any season it is beautiful in its own way. 
The waters of Niagara are actively used to provide energy to nearby areas of Canada and the United States. Several hydroelectric power plants have been built on the banks of the river. 
History of origin and name
The Niagara River and the Great North American Lakes appeared about 6,000 years ago. Their formation was provoked by the Wisconsin glaciation. As a result of the movement of the glacier, which swept away everything in its path, the relief of this area has completely changed. The channels of the rivers flowing in those parts were filled up, and in some, on the contrary, they were expanded. After the melting of the glaciers began, the waters from the Great Lakes began to flow into Niagara. The rocks that form its bottom were soft in places, so the water eroded them, forming a steep cliff - and this is how the famous natural landmark appeared in the form of a waterfall. 
The first mention of Niagara Falls dates back to the beginning of the 17th century. In 1604, the mainland on which the waterfall is located was visited by the expedition of Samuel de Champlain. Later, he described this natural object in his journal from the words of other participants in the trip. Personally, Champlain did not see the waterfall. Six decades later, a detailed description of Niagara Falls was compiled by the Catholic monk Louis Ennepin, traveling in North America. 
The word "Niagara" literally translates from the language of the Iroquois Indians as "the roar of water." It is believed that the waterfall is named after the indigenous peoples who lived nearby, the Onigara tribe.
Extreme or crazy
From the time when it became fashionable to travel, and more precisely from the beginning of the 19th century, tourists began to flock to the shores of Niagara Falls. Some of them wanted not only to see the unique miracle of nature, but also to try to pass through it. 
The first to do this was the American stuntman Sam Patch. He jumped into the Niagara River at the very foot of the falls in November 1929 and survived. Sam was preparing for the jump, information about the upcoming trick appeared long before it was performed. According to his plans, a lot of people should have attended the event. However, bad weather conditions overshadowed the "performance" of the stuntman. There were few people, and the fee received did not suit Patch. Therefore, in exactly one week, he promised to repeat the jump. However, the second attempt of the daredevil to conquer Niagara ended sadly. Sam did not surface, and his body was not found until several months later. 
In 1901, 63-year-old American extreme girl Annie Taylor decided to go through the waterfall while sitting in a barrel. In such an unusual way, the lady wanted to celebrate her birthday. The woman managed to survive, and her name went down in history. 
After this incident, thrill-seekers periodically tried to conquer Niagara Falls. The authorities even had to impose a ban on the commission of such tricks. However, the daredevils now and then threw themselves from the waterfall. Many of them died, and those who survived were fined.
An interesting fact is miraculous salvation a seven-year-old boy named Roger Woodward, who accidentally drifted into Niagara Falls. He was only wearing a life jacket, but nevertheless the child managed to survive.
Excursions and entertainment
Mostly tourists come to Niagara for the sake of visiting the waterfall itself. This can be done both from America and from Canada. There are several observation platforms equipped here, from which you can take stunning photos of the streams of water falling down. The most impressive pictures can be seen from observation deck table rock. 
Those who want to take a closer look at the attraction and even feel the spray of jets should take a ride on pleasure ships. Tourists are taken in turn to each of the three cascades. Before boarding the pleasure boat, everyone is given a raincoat, but even this will not save you from the powerful jets of Niagara Falls. The most spectacular is the Horseshoe Falls. 
Another excursion that will certainly be remembered offers travelers to be behind the waterfall. You can also fly over this unique natural object in a helicopter or hot air balloon. The only disadvantage of such entertainment is the rather high price. 
You should definitely take a walk along the Rainbow Bridge, located a few hundred meters from the main attraction of Niagara. In clear weather, the bridge can be seen from the viewing platforms.
The Niagara Falls area is home to museums, national monuments, and parklands. Queen Victoria Park is especially popular with tourists. It is located in Canada. Here you can walk among flowers and trees, sit in a cafe and see the main attraction of this area from the observation deck. 
Nearby museums are devoted mainly to the history of the discovery and interesting facts associated with Niagara Falls. In them you can see a collection of items on which desperate daredevils tried to conquer the waterfall. As well as wax figures of people whose lives are somehow connected with the famous natural monument.
Niagara Falls is also interesting to see at night. At night, a real light show takes place here. The jets are illuminated in different colors by spotlights. All this looks truly fabulous. 
In winter, the waterfall is no less beautiful. Niagara is a partially frozen waterfall. Only its edges are covered with ice. In the middle of the cascade, the water continues to rush down all year round. During the entire known history of the waterfall, due to abnormally low temperatures, it froze completely three times. Of course, you won’t be able to ride a boat to Niagara in winter, but at this time of the year you can watch a colorful fireworks festival here. The illumination of the waterfalls these days is turned on almost around the clock, and multi-colored fireworks soar into the sky. 
Niagara Falls is one of the most impressive and striking natural features in the world. Its beauty will not leave indifferent even the most sophisticated tourists. Once at its foot, it is impossible not to feel the full strength and power of this natural phenomenon. The developed infrastructure near the object will allow you to spend a bright trip and remember it for a lifetime.
