Lovely park with lots to do! We were visiting the in-laws in Welland and was told that a brand new…read moresplash pad opened in June, so we took our toddlers there on a hot Saturday morning and the kids had a blast! The water wasn't super cold and was a perfect way to stay cool in the 30+ temps. There was a variety of spouts that little hands can spin/rotate and another area that has mushroom-like structures where the water comes down from above, in addition to the sprays that come from the ground. The water structures were spaced apart and the splash pad was spacious enough to avoid the kids from running into each other. There's also restrooms in a community center close by. In addition to the newly installed splash pad, the park has a large pond where ducks hang out (see pic), with a couple of "houses" installed in the center of the pond for the ducks to chill out on. There's several beach volleyball courts, a toddler playground that needs updating (it has a small climbing thing with small slides and a few swings), a newer playground that was a bit further off from the splash pad (we didn't play there but it looks fun and new), open grasslands, picnic tables that are covered (you'll probably need to book these through the the city). If you're in Welland and have kids, this is a great park to take the kids to! I hear that the duck pond freezes over and turns into a skating rink in the winter.

This is a lovely hike early in the day. Tons of stairs, you have to go up them on the way back…read more The path is fairly well marked, but has plenty of areas with a drop off so pay attention. I'm pretty familiar with this hike and enjoy it. Easy parking nearby.

Devil's Hole State Park is just a short distance from Whirlpool State Park…read more Tip: From the overlook, you can't see Devil's Hole; you'll have to hike down the trail to see it. The rocks along the wall on the trail are VERY sharp, so excercise caution while you're hiking here - it's a LONG way to the store for band-aids ;-)

Incredibly beautiful well maintained gardens within a short distance of Niagara Falls. There is…read morealso a gift shop and cafe. An added bonus is it is free to visitors! There is lots of parking but that you find a ticket machine and pay for by the hour.

Niagara Parks' Botanical Gardens is a place to experience nature's beauty and horticultural…read moreexcellence. The gardens span 99 acres with meticulously designed landscapes, and showcases award-winning gardens that burst with vibrant seasonal blooms and lush, overflowing greenery. During my visit, I walked along peaceful trails, where seasonal display beds had a fresh palette of stunning flowers and foliage. I explored the parterre, rose, vegetable and herb gardens, and let the serene beauty of Niagara's most beautiful natural surroundings These gardens were some of my favorite: *Herb Garden - meticulously curated garden showcases culinary herbs from around the world, medicinal plants and herbs used in commercial applications. With fragrant perfume plants, vibrant dye plants, as well as herbs for brewing beverages and homeopathic remedies. At the heart of the Herb Garden, there is a charming knot garden and a classic sundial, elegantly positioned along the central axis, adding a touch of timeless beauty to this botanical sanctuary. *Rose Garden - Covering more than two acres and a cherished part of the Botanical Gardens since the 1940s, the Rose Garden is a stunning showcase of over 2,400 roses. With 54 meticulously maintained rose beds and 31 vibrant annual display beds, this garden offers an exquisite sensory feast powered by nature. Explore a diverse collection of roses, including fragrant hybrid teas, colourful floribunda, elegant grandiflora and enchanting climbing rose varieties. This is a must visit attraction during your visit to Niagara Falls.

What makes this a hidden gem is the fact that it's truly hidden. It's beautiful and picturesque…read more The main entrance leads down to the waterfront which has a rock break wall and a big shelter with picnic tables. The main building has clean washrooms. If you follow the waterline to the left you will find a decent sized sandy beach. It has scattered picnic tables throughout the park, it also a few different parking areas. The main parking lot is huge. Cheers

Adorable little park. Nice stairway down the hill to the water. Benches along the lake and under…read morethe trees. Lovely breeze. Passing through for photos. Nice picnic area. Lost a star cause the ladies room wasn't clean.

We went for a quick fishing visit this summer and this park was fabulous for a bunch of shoreline…read moreanglers like us. The park has a nice paved trail for a walk/run and lots of picnic tables along the shoreline where you can cast off and set up a picnic with your family. While my family settled down to fish, I went for a quick run on their fantastic trail and we all enjoyed our afternoon there thoroughly. The only downside was that there was no public washroom that was open at the time of our visit. There was a facility being used by the YMCA and while there were still some counselors around after the camps let out, they refused to let us in to use the washrooms which I thought was very odd. All in all, the visit to this quiet park was enjoyable and fun for all of us. I look forward to our next fishing outing soon!

A great place to go and rock climb while enjoying what nature has to offer. Over the years, there…read morehas been significantly more foot traffic, and as a result, more noise pollution and waste items have been popping up. I think that with more focus on an "all things in, all things out" approach, this area would be better for both bouldering enthusiast in addition nature fanatics alike!

Another vacation win- they have something here I have never seen- a nature trading post! You can…read moretrade rocks, crystals, fossils and such for their inventory or participate in a point based scavenger hunt, taking photos throughout the park, and redeem points for something in their inventory. I ma a huge rock hound, crystal nut- not just because my name is Crystal, I've loved picking up shiny rocks since I was a small child. Quartz and mica are two I remember finding often as a child. Here- they had a huge inventory of various raw and polished stones, fossils, animal bones and such. And that was just in the Nature Exchange! The park is wonderful too, plenty of trails to lead you down by the river, wonderful trees, great overlook viewpoints throughout. As part of the Niagra Parks system, they have bike trails too. We stopped here twice, once to explore and once for me to pop back in with my photos and pick out a raw piece of turquoise! A birthday win for me! Shout out to the young lady who talked to me in the morning, she wasn't there when I returned- and I am pretty sure the 2 young men thought I was crazy (I am), but they were all very helpful for this big kid out playing in nature!

Okay, let's be honest. I would not have ever heard of Lakeside Park had it not been for the song on…read moreRush's third album Caress of Steel. I had love the song, and always thought it would be cool to visit it one day. Well that day had finally come. I was in town last year, and thought what a perfect time to make my pilgrimage and see what this Park was all about. About. I was very sad when Neil passed away in 2020, and had heard they had built a pavilion bearing his name so I had to see what that was. I arrived in this little small touristy town and saw all kinds of cool little businesses and places to park and saw the sign up ahead that said Lakeside Park. As I entered into the park it was a very nice area. Well kept plenty of greenery, and it is right next to the water. It was a pretty warm day so we were getting some nice cool breezes. As I looked around I saw the Neil Peart pavilion. I had made it. As I wandered over to it, there were people hanging around inside. Having some get-togethers, little parties, people working, or just hanging out in the shade. Enjoying the cool breezes. I couldn't help but feel a little bit sad, as Neil's music and lyrics had meant so much to me growing up. In fact, he was the one that inspired me to pick up the sticks and learn to play the drums. As I walked around the park and sat on the benches, and just enjoyed the scenery, I could imagine all of the things I had heard about in the song and how cool of a place this must have been back in the day. Even if you're not a fan of Rush, this is a great place just to hang out and have a picnic or just enjoy a nice day out. Bottom line? I will absolutely make this an annual pilgrimage when I am in the Ontario area. It is well worth the short drive, and is a must see for Rush fans.

This beautiful park is at the end of the peninsula and next to the Port Dalhousie harbor (harbour?)…read morewhich includes TWO lighthouses. Both of them are on the other side of the inlet. A massive parking lot (pay at the kiosk and display the receipt), the fabulous carousel, picnic pavilion, beach volleyball courts and yes, accessible restrooms. The Rotary Club Bandshell and Neil Peart Pavilion are also here. And if you're wondering why the pavilion is named for a rock drummer, Neil spent all his childhood in Port Dalhousie after his family moved here when he was two years old. [Review 1479 of 2024 - 156 in Ontario - 22502 overall]

We decided to get out of the city cause weather was great (before the super cold and snow are on…read morethe way). We decided to hit up Ball's Falls. After about an hour's drive, we arrived. Needed to pay for parking and so I entered to take care of business. The safety protocol is up and they got things setup. The conservation centre is clean and directions are clearly labelled for entrances and exits. We began our walk to the lower falls area and the historic village. I like this little village with its history. The walk was light. Only downside the water level was low, but that's totally okay. Great scenery. After some lunch time, we trekked up to the upper falls and the views are more stunning. Note, hiking shoes are highly recommended as the trail can be challenging. Overall experience isn't bad. We will check out other places in the NRCA.

Went here for a nice afternoon walking trail to see the falls as I love waterfalls. On…read moreresearching, the pictures of the falls looked glorious. On arrival, you have to go to the office to purchase tickets, $8.00 per adult. This is a bit on the higher side, but I tried to justify it that it is a conservation area. On paying, we were informed that there is no falls as there has been no rain. I asked, not even a trickle? Nope, none. In my mind, that is hard to believe, so off we go. There is an upper and lower fall. We head off to the upper first. The trail to the fall was through trees - quiet, uneventful. There are slight gradings, but nothing too strenuous. Well, we reach the 'falls', yep, bone dry. All you see was the rocks. We made the best of it and appreciated what could be. At the bottom there was just pools of sitting water. So off we go to the lower falls. From here it was a little confusing how to head there as the signage was a bit lacking and the office doesn't give out a trail map. Luckily, we took a picture of the map before heading out. There is only a map at the start, but once you reach the upper falls, there is none from there. The walk to lower falls is a little rougher. You are walking beside the 'water'. This would have been a really pleasant walk if there was water running. On the way to the lower falls, you go through an area with heritage buildings. There are plaques outside each building with the details of what it was and the history. This was a nice variance to the trek. From here we were lost. Couldn't figure out how to get to the lower falls as there was no signage. We headed up a large stairs to the right - wrong. This took us to another trail so we turned back. Finally we headed another way (even the map picture we had taken wasn't clear). We finally came up on the 'falls', dry. This would also have been wonderous if there was water. Overall, the hike was pleasant. I would come back but just make sure only after there has been rain. The pictures I see of when there is water is intriguing.

My family and I were taking a day trip to Niagara area and Buffalo. We spent the afternoon and…read moreevening in Niagara Falls in July a couple years back. We have previously done the ferry (Canada side) years ago when I was a kid. We were just walking around the park because we never been the American side. The observation area, ferries and gift shop were pretty busy, especially during long weekends and holidays. The park has the 2 of the 3 Falls (the 2 smaller ones). I kind of feel like the park sort compensates for having the 2 smaller falls. It was a little bit glummy when we visited but was nice to visit the American side of the falls. The pathway and trails were well maintained and wide enough that you don't feel crowded. The park felt quiet and less busy but well visited once you were walking around.

Very impressed with Niagara Falls State Park. Came on a hot and busy Tuesday afternoon. Parking is…read morehard to come by on the street, so we paid to use a garage. The park was vibrant and full of visitors. I was impressed with the overall cleanliness of the park, as well as clear signage and displays for all the attractions. The highlight to me was the new visitor center. I believe the last time I tried the visitor center was 2019 and upgrades have been made. It's so modernized and attractive. Many clean bathrooms to use, lots of interactive displays, a cafe, and gift shop. You can tell a lot of money went into improving this place. I also liked that there were so many public restrooms available throughout the park and seating options including picnic tables and benches. We also saw lovely hanging baskets throughout the park. Everything looked so good and well maintained. A great park for a day trip. Make sure to check out the maid of the mist at least once!

A small little garden in front of the Sherton. Plenty of flowers and bushes, as well as a…read morefountain. Nice little way to cross my one section of the street to another while enjoying a little scenery. A popular spot, I could see people walking in all day and night from my hotel room.

A beautiful park along the walkway facing Niagara Falls. The park dates back to 1937. Lovely…read moreornamental iron gates, a beautiful stone walkway through perfectly landscaped gardens and next to lily ponds before the amphitheater and then... the view over Niagara Falls. The fountain at the center of the park is the entranceway to Queen Victoria Park at the foot of Clifton Hills. A fabulous pergola for some shade (it was HOT this morning!). The park is perfect for your photo ops and is available for event rental overlooking American Falls near the Rainbow Bridge. [Review 1498 of 2024 - 174 in Ontario - 22521 overall]