Great Gorge Scenic Overlook
This hike begins at the Discovery Center located in the Niagara Falls State Park. It is a short one hour hike with stunning views of the Gorge. There is no age requirement, but there is a $2 fee for each hiker who takes the guided hike. The hike follows close to the Niagara river and has views of the power plants, Silurian Rock Strata and Niagara Escarpment.
Niagara Falls State Park
PO Box 773
Niagara Falls, NY 14302
(716) 278-1796
niagarafallsstatepark.com/
Upper Great Gorge Hike
This two hour hike also begins at the Discovery Center. There is no minimum age requirement, but the fee is $3 per hiker for the guided hike. The trail follows the Gorge until it ends at the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge. During the hike you will see power plants, the Niagara Escarpment and the Silurian Rock Strata as you walk along the upper portion of the Gorge.
Niagara Falls State Park
PO Box 773
Niagara Falls, NY 14302
(716) 278-1796
niagarafallsstatepark.com/
Devil's Hole Rapids and Giant Rock
This is a moderate 2.5 mile hike located in the Devil's Hole State Park. The park overlooks the Whirlpool Rapids and the hike will lead you down stairs and through rock falls while you view the powerful river. During the hike you will see the Giant Rock, Robert Moses Power Plant and the Silurian rock strata. The minimum age is 8 years and the fee is $5 for the guided hike.
Niagara Frontier Region
PO Box 1132
Niagara Falls, NY 14303
(716) 284-5778
nysparks.state.ny.us/parks/42/details.aspx
Whirlpool Rapids Adventure Hike
This is the most difficult hike as it requires navigation through boulder fields. The minimum age is 8 years and the fee for the guided hike is $7. The trail begins at the Whirlpool State Park and takes up to three hours to complete. The major attraction on this hike is the intense whirlpool rapids. You will begin by overlooking the rapids then you will descend down stairs into the gorge. Once in the gorge you will encounter two paths. The orange colored path is the easier of the two and leads you on flat ground. The pink colored path leads you through a boulder field before connecting with the orange path at an old overlook accessed by a trolley line. This is the end of the trail and you must turn around to return to the trail-head.
Niagara Frontier Region
PO Box 1132
Niagara Falls, NY 14303
(716) 284-4691
nysparks.state.ny.us/parks/105/details.aspx
Article Written By Zach Lazzari
Zach Lazzari is an outdoor writing specialist. He has experience in website writing as well as standard newspaper writing. He wrote an outdoor column for the Silver World in Lake City, Colo., and articles for Colorado-mountain-adventure.com. Lazzari is currently completing his bachelor's degree online through Arizona State University and lives in southwest Montana.
