The falls measure 177 feet tall on the Canadian side and 184 feet tall on the United States side. The crest line of the Canadian falls, also known as the "horseshoe" falls because of its U shape, is about 2,200 feet wide, and the crest line of the American side is about 1,075 feet wide.
At night, the American falls are a rainbow of color, as they are lit from behind by many different lights. It can be a romantic sight and, in fact, the falls have become a honeymoon destination. According to Niagara Falls Tourism, more than 50,000 honeymoons are arranged there each year.
According to Info Niagara, it is estimated that 75,000 gallons of water flow over the American falls each second, though this is only about one 10th of the entire water flow. There are other areas where the water is diverted. These diversions (natural and manmade) have helped to spread out the concentration of water flow and slowed erosion. The falls erode approximately 2 to 3 feet per year and, according to Info Niagara, were 7 miles downstream from where they are today.
Due to the many rocks at the base of the American side of the falls, the only people to go over the falls in a barrel have been on the Canadian side where there is more water flow and less rock at the base. The first woman to descend the falls was Annie Taylor, who successfully went over in 1901 with her cat.
The Niagara River Recreational Trail is great way to see the river and surrounding parkland of the area. It is a paved path which runs past wineries and connects Fort Erie to Niagara on the lake. It is about 35 miles long.
