The Complete Guide To ... Niagara Falls

NIAGARA: A TACKY TOURIST TRAP?

NIAGARA: A TACKY TOURIST TRAP?

Most certainly. Every two seconds, one million gallons of water plummet over Niagara Falls - and every month, on average, a similar number of tourists turn up to see the spectacle. The popularity of this scenic wonder has encouraged the building of some undecorous hotels and garish places to eat and drink. Yet the natural spectacle transcends the messy handiwork of man. And because many of the visitors are only at Niagara for the day, the hours after dawn and before sunset are relatively tranquil - apart from the constant roaring of the Falls.

WHERE ARE THEY?

Along the Niagara River, between Lakes Erie and Ontario. The water from four of the Great Lakes is funnelled into the fifth at the point where the Canadian province of Ontario squeezes against New York State. The frontier between the US and Canada runs north-south here, with Canada to the west, which some visitors find geographically confusing. You might also be muddled by the high number of places called Niagara. You can visit the US town of Niagara, upstream on the Niagara River; the Canadian town of Niagara-on-the-Lake; and two airports named Niagara on the US side alone: Niagara Falls International and Buffalo-Niagara International. But most visitors will spend their time at one or both of the towns named Niagara Falls on each side of Niagara Falls.

The nearest cities to the Falls are Buffalo in the US (23 miles) and Hamilton in Canada (40 miles). The most populous cities in both countries are relatively close; New York is 446 miles away by road, and Toronto is just 83 miles.

WHAT ARE THEY?

Niagara Falls comprise three adjacent waterfalls on the Niagara river at the point where it widens to 1,060 feet and plummets 167 feet. From the Canadian side - which gives the best view - they are, respectively, the American Falls, the Bridal Veil Falls and the Canadian Falls. Ninety per cent of the water flows over the Canadian Falls, also known as the Horseshoe Falls.

Collectively, the Falls may look spectacular - but the flow of water is between one-quarter and one-half of what would naturally occur. Most of the water is diverted to a pair of hydro-electric plants, one of which may have precipitated Thursday's blackout in the US. The authorities control the amount of water over the Falls, and tailor it to the number of visitors. The maximum flow of half a million gallons per second occurs between 8am and 10pm from April to mid-September, from mid-September to 31 October, the hours are 8am-8pm. At other times, a mere quarter-million gallons flow over the Falls, the minimum prescribed by a 1950 treaty.

HOW WERE THEY CREATED?

Geologically speaking, the Falls at Niagara are veritable new-borns; they are only about 12,000 years old. But the components that led to their formation go back hundreds of millions of years. The Niagara region is made up of layers of rock that were formed from sediment deposited in the sea that once covered what is now the Great Lakes region - known as the Michigan Sea. At the time, this lay within the tropics. As softer rock eroded away, what remained was an outer edge of dolomite. This mineral, named after a French scientist, Deodat de Dolomieu, is limestone rich in magnesium, which makes it relatively robust. Part of this vast circle has now become the edge of the Niagara Escarpment, an often-spectacular ridge that arcs around the western part of New York State into the province of Ontario.

The course of the Niagara river was formed by glaciation during the last ice age. (It is not strictly a river; technically, it is a strait between two large bodies of water, Lakes Erie and Ontario). The water of the newly formed Falls began slowly to cut into the cliff over which it poured. In the past 12,000 years the Falls have retreated seven miles south towards Lake Erie, creating the Niagara Gorge downstream of the Falls. Nature and tourism are not always in harmony; one reason for the diversion of the majority of the water is to reduce erosion in a bid to maintain the continued attraction of the Falls.

WHO FOUND THEM?

The retreating Falls mean that archaeological evidence is patchy, but it believed that the first settlers may have arrived in the Niagara region as early as 8,000 years ago - at which stage the Falls would have been several miles downstream from the present point. There is some evidence that a tribe of Native Americans known as the Onguiaahra arrived from what is now the province of Ontario around AD1300; the name "Niagara" is thought to derive from this tribe.

The first European explorers arrived early in the 17th century, shortly before conflict broke out between rival tribes of Native Americans. The Seneca, part of the Iroquois nation, prevailed. Publicity about the Falls began after a visit by a priest named Louis Hennepin in December 1678. He was born in the town of Ath in what is now Belgium, and moved to Calais to become a priest. In 1675 he was dispatched as a missionary among the Iroquois in eastern Canada, along with a French military expedition. In the winter of 1678-79, he visited Niagara on a journey deep into what is now the Midwest (there is a Hennepin County in Minnesota), and his subsequent account created great interest.

Eventually Niagara became the self-styled "Honeymoon Capital of the World"; with the biggest population centres of the US and Canada close by, Niagara was the obvious place for newlyweds. Cheap flights to the Caribbean have reduced the local market, which helps to explain why the American town of Niagara Falls has hit hard times. But numerous Japanese couples are helping to bolster visitor numbers.

CAN I TAKE THE PLUNGE?

No. First, while some people have survived either accidental or, more often, deliberate transits of the Falls, the odds are against you. The days when people would set off towards the brink in Heath Robinson-esque contraptions such as reinforced barrels or heavy-duty kayaks have long past. In the unlikely event that you were to remain alive after being hurled over the edge into water that goes 170 feet deep, you would face a heavy fine when you emerged.

WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO SEE THE FALLS?

From every possible angle. Start with proximity, which means the US side. One of the nation's finest state parks is the Niagara Reservation, comprising Goat Island and the trio of small islets known as Three Sisters. You can walk out across bridges to the most distant, from which the city of Buffalo is visible upstream. At this point the water is flowing freely, but with little indication of the catastrophe about to appear. For that, wander along to the westernmost end of Goat Island. Terrapin Point sounds innocuous enough, but turns out to be at the very brink of the Canadian Falls (indeed, the international frontier here is the water's edge).

For your next trick, take the Maid of the Mist boat trip from the US side, just downstream from the Falls. The 20-minute trip costs $10.50 (£7), but most visitors regard it as well worthwhile. It takes you almost underneath the water, though passengers are given free plastic macs to stay dry. Boats run every 15 minutes during the day at peak times, less frequently off-peak; Call 001 716 284 8897 or visit www.maidofthemist.com for more information.

Cross the picturesque Rainbow Bridge from the US to the Canadian side, and indulge in the Journey Behind the Falls, where you are taken into a chamber beneath the tumbling water. This is covered with the same C$31.95 (£18) Great Gorge Adventure Pass ticket as the Maid of the Mist. At dusk, Canada's panoramic supremacy becomes clear. Hundreds of people gather on the esplanade to watch the Falls in the evening light. The classic panorama is from the Canadian side, in the parkland that extends from the Niagara Parkway to the water's edge.

HOW CAN I FOLLOW THAT?

As darkness descends, the town of Niagara Falls becomes Canada's closest equivalent to Las Vegas. Clifton Hill, which winds up from the waterfront, is a dazzle of neon signs promoting bars and restaurants. Except last Thursday.

HOW EASY IS IT TO CROSS BETWEEN THE US AND CANADA?

Not as easy as it used to be, with much stricter checks in both directions. By car or on foot, the way to go is across the Rainbow Bridge.

Don't forget your passport when crossing into Canada. You can leave America with no formalities - simply walk through a gate and you are on the no-man's-land of the Rainbow Bridge. From Canada, you need to feed 50c (either Canadian or US; paying with Canada's currency will save you cash) into the turnstile on the way out; there is no toll when crossing from the US.

WHERE CAN I STAY?

The Canadian side has far more places to stay than the US shore. Indeed, one good reason for staying in Canada is that you don't have to look at the ugly fringe of hotels. Another is that prices are likely to be lower. You can even recover the tax paid on purchases and accommodation. For a cheap, independent, retro place to stay you could try the interesting Cadillac Motel (5342 Ferry Street, 001 905 356 0830), which charges C$67 (£30) for a room with one double bed.

The most individual option is the Red Coach Inn on the US side (2 Buffalo Avenue, 001 716 282 1459, www.redcoach.com), a 20th-century mock-Tudor structure handily located close to the bridge to Goat Island. Prices vary according to demand, but you may get a double room for around US$233 (£155), including breakfast.

Alternatively you could camp, but the sites are some way from the points of interest. On the American side, the most convenient site is at 2405 Niagara Falls Boulevard (001 716 731 3434), which charges US$23 (£15) to pitch a tent.

I'M HUNGRY

Whatever your taste in food and drink, you will find something unappealing in Niagara. Most of the options are either chains (Hard Rock Cafe, Rainforest Cafe) or glumly downmarket. Clifton Hill is full of possibilities, but you should seek out one of the family-run pizzerias on Ferry Street for something vaguely individual.

The wine list may cheer you up; some of eastern North America's finest wines are produced in Ontario and New York State. You can even take the 100-mile Lake Ontario Wine Trail.

CAN I DRINK THE WATER?

Niagara Drinking Water is a popular brand of bottled water in the US. Its slogan is "the purest, best-tasting water ever". Unfortunately for those who like the notion of drinking water that has made the leap, the source is near Irvine, California. The water that plummets over the Falls is drawn from the North American industrial heartland and is not entirely contaminant-free.

I HAVE BEEN INVITED TO THE "CANADIAN BALLET". SHOULD I GO?

Only if you wish to see some striptease. "Canadian ballet" is the disparaging term coined by Americans to describe one of the less virtuous entertainments on offer on the Ontario side of the Falls.

Don't go to either side of Niagara Falls for high culture. The American Niagara Falls has a vast new casino that fills the vast old convention centre in the middle of town at 310 Fourth Street (001 716 299 1100, www.snfgc.com). The Seneca Niagara Casino opens every day, admission free.

HOW DO I GET THERE?

The fastest way is to fly via New York's Kennedy airport, power outages permitting. Seven airlines will fly you there from various UK airports for a fare of around £250 return in September. Change at Kennedy for the one-hour hop on JetBlue (001 718 286 7900, www.JetBlue.com) to Buffalo-Niagara airport, about 40 minutes' drive from the Falls. The journey by bus is easy but time-consuming; take the local bus from the airport to Buffalo, and change there for Niagara Falls. The alternative is to take a Greyhound bus all the way from New York to Niagara Falls, for a fare of US$69 (£46) each way. Via Canada, the best gateway is Toronto, served by Air Canada (0870 524 7226, www.aircanada.ca), British Airways (0870 850 9 850, www.ba.com) and a range of charter airlines.

HOW DO I GET AROUND?

Most visitors arrive by car, but you really do not need one to explore the Falls; most distances are easily walkable. The best way to get a decent view of the Rainbow Bridge between the US and Canada is to walk. A bicycle is a fine way to see the area.

Additional research by Daniel McAllister

NIAGARA'S ROLE AT THE BBC

IS THAT A WATERFALL I CAN HEAR?

BBC Radio has a vast library of sound effects. Some are practical, such as the coconut shells that are used to simulate horses' hooves, and an array of doors for knocking on, opening or closing. But most effects used in recorded drama are pre-recorded and mixed in the studio from vinyl or CD. They endow words spoken in a dry studio with an audio backdrop that can transport the listener to another corner of the planet.

Over the years, I have not been averse to collecting the odd recording for the Corporation while in distant parts of the world. If you hear what sounds like a Bolivian street market or a Peruvian airport, that could be me. I can claim no credit, though, for the all-time BBC Sound Effects greatest hit. The staple sound effect for any kind of outdoor, urban scene is called City Skyline. It provides an unobtrusive wash of sound of the sort that could be heard from a rooftop in London, New York or Hong Kong.

Yet this noise is purely natural. It is the sound of Niagara Falls, slowed down to lower the pitch. Listen out for it on the next Radio 4 drama and imagine yourself at Niagara.

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