Niagara Falls State Park

Niagara Falls (USA) . 2011 . Sep 27 - 30

Niagara Falls State Park is the oldest state park in the United States.  Access to the park is free, but visitors would have to pay for attractions such as the Maid of the Mist boat ride and the Cave of the Winds boardwalk.   Other areas within the park such as Luna Island, Goat Island, Terrapin Point, Three Sisters Islands and Prospect Point are all free and completely accessible for visitors. These areas provide visitors with different platforms to view the Niagara Falls.

Most visitors to the Niagara Falls will declare the Canadian side as the better place to view the Falls. They are right in the sense that the Canadian side allows you the full view of the three waterfalls that makes up the Niagara Falls. But the U.S side has its own unique appeal as it allows visitors to be as close as safety allows to the raging rapids of the Niagara river.

The ferocious rapids of the Niagara Falls, viewed from the safety of the pedestrian side walk.

If it is your first time at the Niagara Falls, you may want to purchase the Niagara USA Discovery Pass as it allows you entrance to most of the major attractions at the U.S side of the Niagara Falls:

-    Niagara Adventure Theater (showing Niagara: Legends of Adventure)
-    Aquarium of Niagara ($10.00)
-    Cave of the Winds ($11.00)
-    Niagara Gorge Discovery Centre (price unavailable)
-    Maid of the Mist ($15.50)
-    One day unlimited transport on the Niagara Scenic Trolleys (price unavailable)

The Discovery Pass is priced at USD$33 and is a good buy  if you are already planning to do the Maid of the Mist boat ride ($15.50) and the Cave of the Winds tour ($11.00).

We bought our Niagara Falls Discovery Passes online and redeemed it at the park.  To gain entrance to the attraction, simply present the pass at the ticketing counter where the staff will tear off the perforated edges for the individual tours

The movie at the Niagara Adventure Theater showing Niagara: Legends of Adventure.  It tells of the folk legends surrounding the Niagara Falls, its history and the dare-devils who ever challenged the Niagara Falls.

Abundance of wildlife at the Niagara Falls State Park.  I love these guys, they can be easily spotted all around the park.

The only downside to the U.S side of the Niagara Falls is that the town tend to be undeveloped and has a sleepy feeling to it in contrast to its vibrant counterpart at the Canadian side.   There are also not many dining options available at night.

We had to take our dinner at the food court of One Niagara Shopping Centre (the glass house in the picture) as this was about the only place other than Hard Rock Café that serves dinner.

Our dinner of Buffalo Wings at the Food Court.

Read these too!

• Aquarium of Niagara
• Crow's Nest
• Goat Island
• Luna Island
• Maid of the Mist Boat Trip *Popular*
• Cave of the Winds
• Prospect Point and Observation Tower
• Three Sisters Island

Check out the Hotel we stayed

• Hotel Review – Comfort Inn The Pointe

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