Niagara River

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The mouth of the Niagara River lies near the eastern end of Lake Ontario. By the time the river reaches the lake, the cliffs immediately below the falls have fallen in height to the river level. In this lovely view, the river flows in from the right into Lake Ontario on the left.

Mouth of the Niagara
 

This fort, which is barely visible in the last picture, is known as Old Fort Niagara. The part of the fort in this photograph was built by the French in 1726. It played a part in the French and Indian War, during which it was captured by the British. After the Treaty of Paris it became the property of the U.S. Since then, the fort has been used for a number of things by the U.S. government.

Old Fort Niagara
 

Just upstream from the fort, the Niagara River provides an excellent storage area for a fleet of sailboats. Riverfront properties line one side, while a bike trail borders the other.

Boats on the Niagara

Niagara Whirlpool

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After going over the Niagara Falls, the Niagara River flows north through a deep gorge toward Lake Ontario. Along the way it flows through the Niagara Whirlpool, a circular area of water at the corner of one of the river's bends.

In the photo below you can see the water coming in from the upper left. It flows around the whirlpool counterclockwise and actually crosses under the water coming in before exiting on the lower left. A small cable car for tourists runs on the cables that cross the whirlpool.

Niagara Whirlpool

 

This pictures shows more clearly where the Niagara River enters and exits the whirlpool. One end of Rainbow Bridge is barely visible upstream. The steep cliffs that set off the river gorge are similar in height to the falls themselves.

Peninsula

 

This view is actually just upstream from the whirlpool. A considerable amount of vegetation manages to cling to the rocky sides of the river gorge.

River Gorge

Floral Clock

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After seeing all the spectacular views of Niagara Falls, I headed north along the Niagara River. Along the way, I stopped to see this giant floral clock. The hands actually turn around, and the letters around the outside spell out "N-I-A-G-A-R-A - P-A-R-K-S."

Floral Clock

 

Near the clock I found this triangular flowerbed. Its combination of pink, red, and greenish white made for an interesting picture.

Flower Bed

Three Sisters Islands

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Three Sisters Island, another small island in the Niagara River, lies off the south side of Goat Island. Three Sisters Island, accessible only by a footbridge, is surrounded on all sides by the Niagara Rapids. A small trolley continuously circles Goat Island, making it easy for visitors to travel between the various locations.
 

I rode the trolley to the stop nearest Three Sisters Island and walked across the foot bridge. At the far end of the island I found this shady little cove.

Shady Cove

The opposite end of the island provides a view of the Niagara Rapids. Some of the water flowing along the Niagara River is diverted above the falls and used to generate hydroelectric power.

Niagara Rapids

From the bridge back to Goat Island I spotted this little bird perched on one of the rocks in the middle of the rapids. I suppose it was waiting for a fish to swim by.

Bird on Rock

Terrapin Point

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Terrapin Point, another place to get an excellent view of the falls, is located on the western end of Goat Island. Situated on the eastern side of Horseshoe Falls, this viewing area is about the closest visitors can get to the cascading water.

With a crest line of 2,500 feet, Horseshoe Falls is significantly wider than the American Falls, and carries about nine times as much water. The average drop from the brink of Horseshoe Falls to the water below is 167 feet.

Horseshoe Falls

 

Across the gorge is the skyline of the Canadian town of Niagara Falls.

Misty Skyline

 

Downriver, the American Falls are barely visible on the right, with Rainbow Bridge spanning the river farther along.

Bridge and American Falls

Luna Island

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The American Falls and Horseshoe Falls are separated by a chunk of land known as Goat Island. Legend has it that long ago, a farmer brought a bunch of animals onto the island to start a farm. During the first winter, all of the animals died except one tough goat, hence the name, Goat Island.

Just off the north side of Goat Island lies a smaller island known as Luna Island. It happens to sit right on the brink of the falls, separating the American Falls from the relatively small Bridal Veil Falls. A viewing area gives visitors an excellent view from the southwest end of the American Falls, and that is the point from which I captured this shot.

Brink of the Falls

 

The view over the brink is equally stunning. This picture shows the water falling on the far right, with a collection of boulders down below.

Misty Rainbow

 

Upstream from the falls, a stretch of river known as the Niagara Rapids is scattered with miniature waterfalls and boulders. This small cascade lies just a few feet upstream from the brink of the Bridal Veil Falls.

Upstream from the Falls

Journey Behind the Falls

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From the Canadian side of Horseshoe Falls, a series of tunnels have been cut through the rock behind the falls that allow visitors to reach a viewing area on the northwest end of the falls. The roar of the falls from this point is almost deafening, and mist billows across the viewing decks almost continuously.

From the lower viewing area, which is more sheltered from the spray, I was able to get this picture of Horseshoe Falls during a short break in the mist.

Horseshoe Falls

 

The view of the falls from the upper deck is slightly better, but I had a much harder time getting a clear picture through the water drops on my camera's lens.

Horseshoe Falls

 

A tunnel has also been cut to come out directly behind the falling water of Horseshoe Falls. While I couldn't see much more than a sheet of water just outside the tunnel's exit, it certainly was amazing to be standing directly under the falls.

End of the Tunnel

Maid of the Mist

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The next morning, I decided to get a closer look at the falls by riding the Maid of the Mist, a boat that sails around the base of both falls, giving tourists an up-close and somewhat drenching experience of the power of that much water. The boat provides all passengers with plastic rain ponchos, but the wind and water seem to penetrate even the smallest cracks. I resorted to keeping my camera in a plastic bag most of the time. While it made it harder to take pictures through the water accumulating on the plastic, it did ensure my camera was still operational when I disembarked from the boat.
 

The Maid of the Mist swung by the American Falls first, and I managed to capture a few pictures.

Base of the Falls
 

American Falls
 

On the way back to the dock, the sun came out, lighting up the mist rising from the falls.

Niagara Falls
 

The Maid of the Mist dock on the American side sits right under the observation tower. It sure is tall!

Observation Tower

Fireworks

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Just after dark, the light show was accompanied by a display of fireworks over the falls. Hundreds of people had gathered along the Canadian side of the falls to watch the show.

These reddish firecrackers were set off near the beginning of the show.

Red Firecrackers

These pink firecrackers glowed brilliantly in the night sky.

Pink Firecrackers

These glowing firecrackers gave the mist surrounding the falls a greenish hue.

Green Firecrackers

Niagara Falls Light Show

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Every evening, a set of brilliant, multi-colored lights is shone on the falls from the Canadian shore, illuminating the falls in rainbow colors. I stayed to watch the light show and captured a few images of the falls. The picture below shows the American Falls.

American Falls

 

The moon rose almost directly behind the American Falls just before the light show started.

Moon Over Falls

 

Downstream from the falls, Rainbow Bridge was visible in the twilight. The lower beams of the bridge form a parabolic arch.

Rainbow Bridge