Niagara Falls is the most famous waterfall in the world. Niagara - a river in America with unique waterfalls Excursions to Niagara Falls

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 the interesting thing is that the water falls from the territory of the USA, but it is visible from Canada, that is, Canadians make money from the spectacle :) Downstream there is a “Rainbow Bridge”, open to the movement of passenger vehicles and pedestrians between two countries

The roar of the waterfall can be heard at a distance of many kilometers, especially at night, so a person standing near Niagara itself does not hear anything (hence the name, because in Indian “Niagara” means “rumbling water”)

An Indian legend tells of a beautiful girl, Lelawalai, who was betrothed by her father to an Indian warrior whom she disliked and despised. She chose to sacrifice herself to her true love, the thunder god He-No, who lived in a cave under the Horseshoe waterfall, over marriage. She steered her canoe into the swift flow of the Niagara River and threw herself from the heights of the falls. He-No caught her in flight, and from that time on their souls began to live together in the sanctuary of the Thunder God under the waterfall

In fact, Niagara Falls is the common name for three waterfalls on the Niagara River, separating the American state of New York from the Canadian province of Ontario. Two waterfalls delight tourists, and the third - electric power workers:) 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 great, 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, the energy generated by the waterfall illuminated nearby villages. 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. Currently, power plants generate up to 4.4 gigawatts of electricity

In October 1829, Sam Pache, who called himself Yankee Leeper, 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 attempted to cross the falls. Some survived, others either drowned or were seriously maimed. Survivors were subject to heavy fines due to violation of the law, both Canadian and American

Another interesting fact. Due to erosion, the waterfalls gradually changed the shape of their channel, and in 1969, to carry out work to strengthen the slopes at the top of the waterfall, the river was completely channeled along a different channel and Niagara Falls remained dry for several months

When cars pass by this miracle, they deliberately slow down, almost to walking speed. 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, stunning illumination lights up. The play 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 onto the continuously moving wall of the waterfall and, creating a fabulous illumination, enhance the already impressive picture

Height of waterfalls Niagara is 53 meters. The foot of the American Falls is obscured by a pile of rocks, 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 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 seven-color rainbows. 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 time of year. In spring and summer, the boiling white curtain is shaded by lush greenery, in autumn - by crimson colors. In winter, only the edges of the river freeze. From the rocky ledges of the ridge, huge ice deposits the size of a factory chimney are gradually freezing - giant “icicles” sparkling with diamonds against the backdrop of the 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 menacing picture at Niagara Falls unfolds in early spring, during ice drift

Huge ice floes, like icebergs, break into pieces with a roar and roar and disappear into its bottomless abyss...

Niagara is famous throughout the world; up to 16 million tourists visit it annually. Hotels, motels, observation towers, a cableway were built around the waterfall, two cities even grew up with the same name - Niagara Falls, only one of them is Canadian, with 100 thousand inhabitants, and the other is American, with 50 thousand)

Scientists have determined that it moves upstream by one meter every year. 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 with its disappearance the lake will dry up...

Niagara Falls- one of the most famous and popular natural attractions in North America.

Niagara Falls is located on the Niagara River, which connects Lakes Ontario and Erie, and separates Canada from New York State. From the town of Buffalo it is about 30 km to the waterfall.

On both banks of the Niagara River there are cities with the same names: Niagara Falls - an American and a Canadian town. The very name of the waterfall is pronounced in the language of the Indians who once lived on these lands as “Ongniaahra”. Different translations of this word - "Thundering Water" or "Halving".

According to scientists, Niagara Falls was formed several thousand years ago during the melting of the glacier. Then the streams of water washed the channel in the soft sandstone and the Niagara River, with its flow, made a deep gorge in the sandstones, until the moment when harder rocks appeared outside. A cliff formed, from which thousands of tons of water fell down. Due to the high content of rock particles in the river water, the water has a characteristic greenish tint.

Presumably, over the past ten thousand years, Niagara Falls has risen 11 km upstream of the Niagara, and this movement continues today at a rate of approximately 30 cm per year. Scientists believe that this process will stop in 50 thousand years, when the waterfall reaches Lake Erie and simply disappears.

Indian legends tell of a beauty named Lelavalae. Her father betrothed his daughter to an Indian warrior, whom the girl did not love at all and even despised. Instead of getting married, she chose to sacrifice herself to her true beloved - the thunder god He-No, who lived under a waterfall in a cave. Lelavalae got into a canoe and floated down the fast flow of Niagara, and then threw herself down a huge waterfall. But He-No caught her on the fly. Since then, their souls have lived together under a waterfall in the sanctuary of the Thunder God.

Every year millions of tourists from different parts of the world come to Niagara Falls. Especially for them, there is a cable car, many paths and galleries for walking, as well as observation decks, towers, helicopter tours and even the opportunity to fly over the waterfall in a hot air balloon. In the summer, after dark and until midnight, colored spotlights are turned on to illuminate the cascading streams of water.

But the most popular tourist attraction is a ride under the waterfalls on pleasure boats called "Maiden of the Mist". These excursions have remained Niagara's most famous attraction for nearly one hundred and fifty years. They are held on both the American and Canadian sides. It is by swimming under the waterfall that every tourist is able to appreciate the true power of the “Thundering Water”.

By the way, the Niagara Falls area is the oldest nature reserve in New York State, opened back in 1885. Today it is a state-protected area.

• More than 20% of America's drinking water flows through Niagara Falls;
• Two bridges (Rainbow Bridge and Whirlpool Rapids Bridge) cross Niagara Falls. Passenger transport moves safely along them;
• Brown foam forms downstream from the waterfall. It owes its characteristic color to the clay bottom at the very foot of Niagara Falls;
• When falling from a waterfall, the fish does not break at the bottom, which is explained by the presence of a large amount of foam, which acts as a softening cushion. More than 90 percent of the fish survive;
• A huge number of people do not give up trying to conquer Niagara Falls. Back in 1829, Sam Patch made a jump into the gorge. Surprisingly, after this the daredevil remained alive. A little later - in October 1901, a teacher named Annie Edson Taylor also survived after she was put in a barrel and thrown into a gorge. The archive, which records all attempts to conquer Niagara Falls, deserves special attention. Until today it is regularly updated;
• Niagara Falls is an excellent setting for filming, which is actively used by filmmakers. Many films were also shot directly about this miracle of nature. The most famous people who were filmed against the backdrop of the waterfall are Joseph Cotten, Marilyn Monroe and many others. The most popular films: "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End", "Superman II" (1980), "Niagara". Niagara: Miracles, Myths and Magic was filmed in IMAX.
• There are a number of versions regarding the origin of the name of the waterfall. According to one version, voiced by Bruce Trigger, the waterfall owes its name to one of the tribe living in close proximity to it. Another scientist (George R. Stewart) suggests that “Niagara” is a derivative of “Ongniaahra” - that was the name of one of the provinces where the Iroquois tribes lived;

Niagara is a river that is one of the major water streams of North America. One can envy her beauty. After all, this is not a simple channel flowing through the area. The uniqueness of the river is that it has many waterfalls. They are known all over the world. A lot of people strive to come here at least once to see this unearthly beauty with their own eyes.

Description of Niagara (briefly)

Many people are interested in where exactly the Niagara River is located and from which lake it flows. The watercourse originates from The river is the geographical border between the United States of America and Canada. In the United States, the Niagara flows in the state of New York, and in Canada its banks are located on the border of the province of Ontario. The length of the river is 56 km, the flow is directed mainly to the north, the volume of water is 665 thousand square meters. km. But what lake does the Niagara River flow into? As can already be understood from the information described above, the water flow ends its path in Canada. It flows into

Hydronym

The name of the river came to us from the Indians living in this territory. In the Iroquois language it was called Ongiara, literally translated as “land in half.” This was mainly due to the fact that in the upper reaches the Niagara is divided into two branches, due to which islands were formed. Some of them belong to the United States (Grand Island) and one belongs to Canada (Navi Island).

A little history

Niagara is a river that is more than 6,000 years old. Her story can safely be called unique. During this time, many significant events occurred. The activity of the last ice sheet in North America also formed the Niagara River. The glacier, descending from the top, pushed the stone blocks apart, forming furrows. This is how these reservoirs arose. When the last period ended, the stream moved along these furrows and buried itself in the rapids, forming a system of waterfalls under the force of the water.

Niagara Falls

Niagara is a special river, if only because it has waterfalls. Thanks to the connection, you can enjoy these beauties. is rightfully considered one of the most beautiful on the planet. It has a complex system of thresholds, so a canal, the Welland, was artificially built to bypass it.

The “Niagara Miracle” is not a single site, but a complex consisting of several places where river water drops sharply from a fairly high altitude. Together they form a single wide system of waterfalls. The height of the cliffs varies significantly. The highest points of these waterfalls are more than 50 m (located beyond the Canadian border), and the height of those located in America is 21 m. This difference in indicators is due to the fact that in the 50s of the last century, a cliff occurred on the site of the American waterfalls, forming a stone pile at the foot.

The importance of waterfalls for countries

This complex consists of three waterfalls - the American, Canadian “Horseshoe” and a section called “Veil”. Their width spans more than 1,000 m, and the power of the flow allows it to be used to generate hydroelectric power. Due to the fact that Niagara is a river with character, several significant hydroelectric power plants were built under its falls.

River waters were first used as a source of energy at the end of the 18th century. Small farmers and entrepreneurs built small canals and supplied their businesses with electricity. But strong water flow began to be used on a large scale at the end of the 19th century after Tesla invented the alternating current generator. Currently, factories and enterprises have been built at the foot of the waterfalls that successfully use water energy.

The value of the Niagara water stream

Understanding where the Niagara River is is very important, since several cities are located on its deep banks:

• Niagara Falls, Buffalo, Lewis - in the United States.
• Fort Erie and Niagra Falls - off the coast of Canada.

The river, together with the waterfalls, has enormous economic value for these two countries. This place is also popular among tourists, which brings considerable income to the treasury of states.

Shipping

The Niagara River is deep and suitable for heavy navigable ships. But because of the waterfall, the path is interrupted. To solve the problem, a special canal was built to bypass the cliff, which, since the 1960s, has allowed ships to travel along the river from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes and back. Now, annually the total amount of cargo transported along this route reaches 40 million tons.

The canal has a modern equipment system, equipped with 8 shipping locks that can control the water level and ensures a comfortable transition from one water basin to another.

Tourism

Undoubtedly, waterfalls are very popular in the tourist aspect.
Every year, millions of vacationers from all corners of the globe come to see the wonder of nature. For this purpose, a powerful infrastructure has been developed here. Tourists have the opportunity to take a tour of the waterfall by helicopter or hot air balloon. A large number of observation platforms and towers have been built here. Even at night they conduct excursions, when the waterfalls shimmer with multi-colored lanterns and spotlights.

The most popular “attraction” at Niagara Falls is a walk under the falling waters on special boats.

Niagara Falls is one of the oldest nature reserves in the United States.
Not only beauty lovers are eager to go on excursions here, but also people thirsting for extreme sports. So, in 1901, an ordinary elementary school teacher Mrs. Taylor, on her 63rd birthday, decided to jump from a waterfall in a wooden barrel. Subsequently, her act was included in the Guinness Book of Records.

Now the laws of Canada and the USA prohibit going down the waterfall by any means, but this does not stop daredevils.

Despite the fact that the maximum height of Niagara Falls is significantly lower than Victoria and Iguazu, it is no less beautiful and popular compared to the latter. This natural attraction is located on the border of two largest countries - Canada and the USA. It is this fact that significantly influenced the fact that Niagara is almost the most popular waterfall in the world. More than 15 million tourists visit it annually.

How to get to Niagara Falls?

• a boat trip to the waterfall, during which you can see the beginning of the Horseshoe and the top of the gorge;
• hot air balloon flight over Niagara. During this trip, tourists are given the opportunity to simultaneously see all three waterfalls, while their eyes are exposed to the maximum height of Niagara Falls;
• journey “beyond the waterfall”. It provides for the delivery of tourists to three tunnels using a special elevator;
• visiting a viewpoint jutting out from a cliff on the US side and beautifully connecting the two countries.

No matter how you decide to explore Niagara Falls, you will definitely enjoy the excursion, you can be sure of that.

Daria Nessel| Oct 12, 2017

Niagara Falls- one of the wonders of the world, located on the border of Canada and the USA. Every second, huge masses of water rush down with noise, a truly breathtaking and amazing sight. Let's take a closer look at one of the most beautiful places on our planet.

Where is Niagara Falls located?

Niagara Falls is located on the Niagara River of the same name, between two states. It is not the largest in the world, its height is only fifty-three meters, but colossal volumes of water pass through it, incomparable to any other. Many people think that Niagara is one waterfall, but in fact there are three: American, Canadian and Veil. There are two cities near it: the American Buffalo and the Canadian Niagara Falls.

View of the Horseshoe Falls from above.

The history of Niagara Falls

The history of Niagara Falls goes back twelve thousand years. The reason for its formation, like the river, was the appearance of the Wisconsin Glacier; it moved across Canadian territory. Glacial masses compacted rocks and soil layers, creating a unique landscape, river beds, lakes and rapids. After the glacier began to melt, huge volumes of water created soil erosion, as if pushing apart the bowels of the earth, thereby creating entire gorges and cliffs filled with water.

Soil destruction continues now, Niagara Falls is gradually moving up to the source of the flow. We won’t see this happen, but according to professors’ estimates, in twenty thousand years it will reach Lake Erie, becoming one huge body of water.

Discovery of Niagara Falls

The discovery of Niagara Falls belongs to Samuel de Champlain in 1604, by pure chance. While studying and mapping the beds of the St. Lawrence River, the scientist learned from local residents about the existence of a small ledge of water between Lakes Erie and Ontario. He put it on the map, and there the Europeans learned in absentia about the new wonder of the world.

The next eyewitnesses of the unprecedented miracle were missionaries in 1640 and 1647, then they called it “a waterfall of terrible height.”

Niagara Falls - a beautiful legend of love

A touching and romantic legend of the local Indian flame is associated with Niagara Falls. It tells about the beautiful Lelavalaya, the daughter of the leader of one of the tribes. Her father, against her will, betrothed her to an honorable warrior; the girl sincerely hated him. Unable to accept her fate, she sacrificed herself, throwing herself into the watery abyss, in the name of bright love for God He-No, the lord of thunder, who lived in a cave. He-No was fascinated by the girl and did not let her die, he picked her up on the fly. Since then, their souls have lived in peace and love, guarding Niagara Falls. This is where its name came from; it literally means “rattling water” in Indian.

Niagara Falls, observation decks.

Extreme fun in Niagara

In the 19th century, an unusual, risky fun appeared - descent in wooden barrels. The first person to descend from Niagara was, oddly enough, an ordinary teacher Annie Taylor; she not only overcame it in a wooden barrel, but most importantly, she survived, receiving only a small wound on her head.

After this strange act, hundreds of extreme sports enthusiasts in wooden barrels rafted through the waters of Niagara, many received serious injuries, often this adventure ended tragically, but there were those who made this extreme jump several times. Every year the sad list of unsuccessful descent attempts grows and it has become a popular place for suicides, a beautiful death in front of a huge public.

Now descending it is prohibited, it is punishable by a large fine and even imprisonment, but despite all the prohibitions there are daredevils or madmen who want to conquer the raging elements.

VIDEO: Niagara Falls

Watch the video “Journey to Niagara Falls”

Excursions at Niagara Falls

The best place to see the natural splendor is at Table Rock Lookout.

Many tourists choose the deck of the Maid of Mist ships. They depart from both sides every thirty minutes; the capacity of one such boat is about six hundred passengers. The price from the Canadian side is 15C$, from the American side 9$. The tour lasts about twenty minutes.

The most interesting part begins when approaching the center of the Horseshoe, the ship goes around it in a circle. At this time, people on the deck are being doused with a mass of water, enthusiastic exclamations and screams can be heard everywhere, many are trying to wrap themselves in raincoats, but this will not help much, water will be everywhere.

You can admire the amazing beauty of Niagara Falls from a bird's eye view by booking a helicopter ride, it will cost $140.

The infrastructure in this area is very developed; you can visit a 3D cinema, where anyone can watch videos related to a local landmark. In the nearest cities, there is a Ferris wheel, various lifts, platforms and terraces, a wax museum, and many attractions.

Note to tourists!

• If you are going to sail on a boat near Niagara Falls, if you have the opportunity, then buy not an ordinary raincoat, but a cellophane overall and swimming goggles.
• The equipment should also be better packed, and in no case should it be missing, otherwise the minimum: it will simply flood, the maximum - you will simply lose it due to a strong flow. It’s better to take beautiful shots from observation platforms.
• Additionally, take a second pair of shoes with you to continue the tour in comfort.

Niagara National Park

Not far from Niagara Falls there is a national park of the same name - a small and cozy place where you can relax a little after a busy excursion. The ticket costs only ten dollars, and parking costs the same. There are several cafes and restaurants in the park where you can eat delicious food, not just fast food, but quite healthy and satisfying dishes. On its territory there is an aquarium, where interesting shows with fur seals are organized for children, as well as a museum dedicated to the discovery, study and interesting facts related to the main attraction. Near the museum there are shops and stalls with souvenirs that will remind you of your unusual journey.

Niagara Falls - winter light show

Traditionally, during the winter festival, which lasts from November to January, Niagara Falls is painted with millions of colors, a sight of incredible beauty. Although the waters are illuminated throughout the year, it is during the festival that the colored spotlights are turned on not for just three hours, but for seven or more.

To better enjoy the show, there is a special route along which a small tram runs.

They decided to organize a light show in 1860. In honor of the arrival of the royal person, the Prince of Wales, a grandiose show was staged with colored spotlights and fireworks. Tourists and local residents liked the magical spectacle so much that colored lighting has since been used constantly.