The US Side of Niagara: Worth It?
If you're an American and so much as mention visiting Niagara Falls, you'll likely get a response from people letting you know that the "Canadian side is better than the New York side." That's why when we've visited Niagara, we've always prioritized our Ontario adventures. This time, though, we're not just visiting on a weekend trip. We brought our home to Niagara for almost 3 weeks! This gave us plenty of time to journey over to Canada and experience the NY side of the Falls, which neither of us had done before. We also had more time to venture further away from the Falls, to towns along Lake Ontario and locales like the Village Bake Shoppe in Lewiston. Go and get yourself a cake cup. You won't be sorry.
We noticed right away that, although both sides of the Niagara have their tourist traps, New York keeps things a little more natural. The views of the Falls themselves aren't as good, but you're also not just viewing them from crowded sidewalks. As you travel down the riverside, Canada has lots of tourist stops, many of which we mentioned in our last post. There is also the Niagara Glen Nature Center, which is the main hub for Canada-side hiking. It's free to visit, but you must pay a parking fee and arrive within the open hours. New York's riverside is lined with state parks. Parking is free in many areas, there aren't (enforced) hours of operation, and there is a nature trail that runs alongside the road, so you can hike or bike from one state park to the next. Within the state parks themselves are more opportunities for outdoor recreation. We spent a lot of time hiking this area, enjoying the peace and quiet while we looked down upon the turquoise waters of the river.
We have big stories of our hikes coming up in the next post, but let's talk about the attractions we experienced on the New York side.
If you're visiting American Falls, two of the most recommended activities are the Observation Tower and Cave of the Winds. Not gonna lie, we kind of always looked at these attractions as a little sad compared to the Canadian observation decks that give you views like this:
But, since we hadn't experienced the American Falls, we figured we might as well partake. The good news about the Observation Tower is that it only costs $1.25, and you get access to the upper deck as well as the lower gorge viewing area. We went on an off-time in the middle of the week, which I feel is a must if you can swing it. No one wants their views obstructed by human heads. Of course, the view of the Falls isn't as awe-inspiring as that photo above, but the American side does what it can. The upper deck juts out over the river so you can at least get a glimpse of Horseshoe Falls, in addition to American Falls (the closest waterfall) and Bridal Veil Falls (right behind American Falls).
The lower gorge area is called the Crow's Nest, and you reach it by taking the same elevator down as the Maid of the Mist riders. Once down below, you take a left and walk along the river to a giant staircase that leads up close to American Falls. It's a trek, so if you aren't keen on climbing (wet) stairs, you may want to opt out of this one. We didn't really have a choice but to opt out. While we experienced zero crowds on the Observation Deck, we had unfortunate timing heading down to the gorge. We exited the elevator right as a Maid of the Mist boat tour disembarked, and hundreds of happy, wet boaters flocked to the Crow's Nest to take in the views they just had from the boat.
To compare, I later went back to my Observation Tower photos to see just how many people were on the Crow's Nest before the boat tour got out.
Yep, that's one person, with the entire area all to themselves. Lucky! Case in point, the Observation Tower really needs to be well-timed around Maid of the Mist. We were just happy that the boaters hadn't gotten up to the top yet, because that's the view we really wanted. The Crow's Nest would have been great, but we had already seen the Falls from lower vantage points. So we decided to not wait around. It would have been a long time before the stairs were clear enough for us to climb them without feeling like we were being herded like cattle. Like any of the tourist attractions, sometimes you'll hit crowds, so bring your patience, and it should be a good time.
Before talking about Cave of the Winds, I will make a small note about Maid of the Mist, because we did not do the tour during our visit. We took it from the Canadian side 10 years ago, and it's a must-do activity at least once, but not one we felt we needed to reprise. Seeing the Falls from the water, with all the rainbows refracting off them, is a one-of-a-kind-experience. For nostalgia's sake, here's a photo of us in our Maid of the Mist ponchos, enjoying our boat ride. This also happens to be our first documented photo of us as a couple..."documented," meaning I probably took some earlier ones but deleted them.
Cave of the Winds was unexpected. When we were on the Canadian side, we partook in Journey Behind the Falls, which allowed us to engage our senses up close to Horseshoe Falls, seeing, hearing, and feeling the sheer force of nature surrounding us. We expected Cave of the Winds to be Journey Behind the Falls' little cousin, a miniscule version of the real deal. The attraction doesn't take advanced reservations, but instead advises you do head to the ticket booth early to reserve a time for that day. There is also a tip to bring "shoes you don't mind getting wet." We went the same day as the Observation Tower which wasn't crowded anywhere (except at that one moment on the Crow's Nest!), so we weren't too worried about getting a good reservation time. After waiting only a few minutes in line, we got our tickets and went right in.
Before going to the Falls, you enter a museum-esque educational area. There are informational displays and a short video that gives the history of the Falls, their restoration and beautification, and their journey to become one of the greatest forces in the hydropower sphere. I must say, that video was fantastic. I'm hard pressed to find a better informational video in any of the attractions and museums I've been to, and that's a long list. The video was only 7 minutes long but packed in tons of knowledge - details we hadn't even learned yet despite having done almost every other Niagara-area attraction already. There were added technical details, like smaller screens on each side of the large movie screen. Some showed closed captions, and others showed supplemental visuals. Above us were string lights along the ceiling, which flickered at the mention of the water's ability to convert into electricity. These special effects show the attention that's put into the exhibit. (Anthony teared up watching the video; he said it was the lights).
After the video, we were guided back outdoors and over towards American Falls, where we received our ponchos and prepared to get wet. The attraction is self-guided, so you can spend as much time as you want climbing all the stairs and standing under the waterfalls. Yes, under. The tip to wear shoes that can get wet was laughable. Our shoes were the least of our problems by the end. We were absolutely drenched, and we were more than OK about it.
Now, if you're not a fan of getting soaked, there are a few places you can stand to experience the Falls without being right in the wrath of the mist. But that means you're missing out on the most exhilarating parts of this attraction, like the hurricane deck, with winds so strong that we had tinnitus in our ears afterwards from the howling (much to my audiologist mother's dismay). Listen for yourself!
Fun story: My mom happened to call me right when we were on the hurricane deck. As a joke I picked up the phone and all she could hear was the wind and me yelling "HELLOOOO?!" Later when I called her back she said it sounded like I was in a tornado. Close enough!
The "wind" part of the name holds very, very true, but if you're wondering why it's called Cave of the Winds, that's because once upon a time, there was a rock overhang over the Falls, giving it a cave-like feel, but that rock collapsed a long time ago. Still, the name stuck, despite there never actually being a cave.
Check out this POWERFUL reel from the Cave!
We absolutely loved Cave of the Winds, though we're divided on which "up close and personal" exhibit we liked the best, between this and Journey Behind the Falls. Anthony prefers Journey, while I preferred this. Much of that had to do with the lack of crowds, I'm sure, but I liked being able to really be in the water, able to touch it. Besides getting misted on, Journey Behind the Falls was less tactile. So I guess that means we'd recommend the attraction for whichever side you're on! You really can't lose with either. Just maybe bring an entire change of clothes for Cave. We didn't, and we did this attraction before the Observation Tower. Now scroll back up to those photos and look at my shirt. That shirt was under a button-down and a poncho, and still ended up looking like that.
The Falls attractions are amazing, but our extended time in the area meant seeing what else is in store further down the Niagara River. Turns out, the town of Lewiston has more than just scrumptious baked goods. We scheduled a Whirlpool Jet Boat tour that runs through the whitewater rapids of the Niagara. You can book a similar tour on the Canadian side as well. We love a good jet boat tour, but this one was unlike any other we've experienced. The tour takes you through class V rapids - some of the most powerful in the world - and things get wet. The tour company knows that getting soaked plunging through the rapids isn't everyone's cup of tea, so they also offer closed-boat tours. We, of course, chose the open-air boat and brought a very necessary change of clothes for afterwards.
The thrill of jetting up and down the river was a huge draw, but we were also indulging our utter fascination of the river. At this point, we had seen it from all vantage points: Before the Falls, after the Falls, from up in the sky, from the rim of the gorge, from the riverbanks, and now from the water itself. This river is something else. It's so powerful that the minerals break down into a powder and create the lovely turquoise color. The sheer power creates a waterflow so strong that the current turns back on itself, creating the high-level rapids and whirlpools. The layers of rock that make up the gorge are steep and cliff-like. The seagulls, hawks, and other birds that make this river their feeding ground must be daredevils. How do they know where is safe to dive?! Then there are the hydroelectric developments. On the river, you can travel right between the two power plants north of the Falls, and they are absolutely massive. Combined, these and the upper Falls power plant generate power at a rate of 4.9 gigawatts. New York's plant alone generates the second-most electricity of any hydroelectric plant in the US, topped only by the Grand Coulee Dam in Washington. The difference, though, is that the other powerful plants let the water build up and then release it to get the power. The Niagara simply flows at that capacity and is only reserved so the tourists can marvel at the waterfalls as they gush gallons of water over the landscape.
But enough geeking out. Let's see some soakage!
After we docked and dried ourselves off, we went next door to grab lunch at the Silo, a restaurant recommended in an RV blog. This round-shaped restaurant has beautiful river views and your choice of indoor seating by open windows or outdoor seating on the porch. It's counter-serve American food which is standard but yummy. After your meal, you can head outside to the Caboose and grab yourself a scoop (or more!) of Perry's Ice Cream.
We get the hype of the Ontario side of Niagara, but there was a lot to enjoy on the New York side. Spending a longer period of time in one place lets us experience everything we want, both tourist and local, while still taking time for our day-to-day routines. We can definitively say that the US side of the Falls is totally worth it, but it all depends on what your goals are while you're visiting. Want the best view of the Falls? Head to Canada. Want adventures in nature? New York's got you covered.
Our NY adventures weren't over, though. Check in with us on Friday to see how we made our Niagara travels even more exciting!
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