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!

The New York State Park is amazing! The majestic awe and wonder of Niagara Falls is truly a sight…read moreto behold. It's hard to imagine that people once attempted to go over the Falls in a barrel, or so the stories say! The Maid of the Mist takes you right to the base of the Falls and it is AWESOME... and WET! Don't let those little ponchos fool you. You are going to get soaked, and the roar of the water is incredible. The Visitor Center inside the park isn't nearly as impressive as the Discovery Center Welcome Center, but it offers clean restrooms, a refreshment stand, and an information desk. There are also plenty of fantastic photo opportunities throughout the park and along the viewing areas. The nightly fireworks display is spectacular, though it does get crowded. For wheelchair users, there is a fabulous, spacious ramp that provides easy access down to the viewing level. A must-see experience from every angle! #NYStatePark #Fireworks #MaidOfTheMist #WelcomeCenter #TysAdventures26 #AmericanFalls #InternationalFalls #NiagaraFallsUSA

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.

Absolutely beautiful grounds. Beautiful and peaceful way to spend the day…read more Best of all, it's free entrance unless you want to visit the Butterfly Conservatory (and you should)! Bring a book to read at one of the many benches throughout , spend a whole day, take your time wandering, savoring the beautiful grounds then grab lunch or a coffee or drink at the cafe!

One of my last stops in Niagara. Just off Clifton Hills, it takes you from Clifton Hills to the…read moreold Power Station/Tunnel, and if you take the stairs up, a shortcut to Skylon Tower. Quaint and quiet, although I didn't do it, plenty watch the nightly fireworks from here. A simple yet understated escape. Mostly open, so it's not exactly a secluded place; nonetheless, it still offers some solitude. Worth passing through on your way to and from Table Rock and/or the Tunnel, or even if you're just walking about in Niagara Falls.

Queen Victoria Park in Niagara Falls is a beautiful garden location set among some of the prettiest…read morescenery one is likely to find in Canada. It is swept with beautiful grass gardens that will charm you, nothing really feels out of place. It is the main area for viewing and experiencing Niagara Falls. Spectacular scenic panoramas of the Falls await you every day of the year Laced with lush gardens and winding paths, Queen Victoria Park is the front-row seat to the falls. It's situated directly across the gorge from the cascades and offers some of the best vantage points to see the American and Canadian Horseshoe Falls, and the more than 100 fireworks displays that illuminate the skies above the brink each year. Several popular area attractions, including Journey Behind the Falls and Niagara City Cruises, leave from the park grounds. There are not many places Canada that you could see such a display of nature, even the winter months have something beautiful to offer with stark, sweeping trees and branches gracing Queen Victoria Park.

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!

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 ;-)

The historic Whirlpool Aero Car is an antique cable car that is a Niagara Parks attraction. It was…read moredesigned by famed Spanish engineer, Leonardo Torres Quevedo, and has been soaring the Niagara Gorge since 1916. It offers a ride over the waters of the Niagara River where you can see spectacular views of the swirling Niagara Whirlpool and the river's Class 6 rapids as you soar 3,500 feet across the Niagara Gorge. It travels between two points on the Canadian shore, but will actually take you across the international border between Canada and the United States a total of four times. I enjoyed the aerial view of the whirlpool. rapids and Niagara gorge.

A fun, albeit short ride. You ride on one side to the halfway point, then everyone rotates to the…read moreother side at the halfway point. So you get to see both perspectives and everyone has the opportunity to see everything. The ride is kind of short for the price, and during peak/busy times, the wait probably isn't worth it, just to see the pool for directly above. You are able to go to the sides of the overlook and look for free, so if you're on a budget that is a viable option to save a few bucks.

When it's good it's good and when it's not it's not. So check it before you wreck it. Sometimes…read moremy fish was cooked great and 2 times it was fried too long. So there it is.

Get some park security. Half of the people on the playground aren't kids, they're adults having a…read morecook out. It's a good place to go when your board, but not a good place to get out and do something.

This might have been the most mosquito infested park I've ever went to. Sadly , I would have…read moreenjoyed exploring the grounds and wildlife more , if it wasn't for the damn bugs ! Boards across the trails prevent muddy shoes, which is nice . Signs of potential wildlife are found throughout . But did I mention the mosquitos ?!?!

The Margery Gallogly Nature Sanctuary is 145 acres of private forest that, instead of being…read moredeveloped, has been acquired by the Western New York Land Conservancy and is now open to the public. There is a loop trail and a spur, which together added to a little more than 1.5 miles long. Some of the trail is on a raised boardwalk because the area can be wet and the trail is not open to dogs. Signage does say that snowshoes and cross-country skiing are permitted. The forest is lovely, especially now with the autumn colors taking over. Although it was dry when I visited, a nice big frog greeted me along the path and reminded me that the area is a wetland area. There were a few families with young children visiting. Other than negotiating the boardwalk, it is an nice easy hike for kids. The nature sanctuary is easy to reach. The trailhead is in the back corner of Assumption Cemetery and there is a small parking lot for visitors.

I was amazed at how modern and cool this playground is. A…read moreten minute drive from the falls. Without a doubt the best "outdoor" bathrooms in the world. And this must not be a secret because I saw two delivery drivers stop in. My boys had a ball here. There's something for kids of virtually ages to do here. If you're in the area with your kids, this is a must stop.

Okay this park has a COOL playground! I was even playing on it as an adult. There are lots of areas…read moreto climb, smaller areas for kids, swings, and a musical portion. Definitely something for all kids to enjoy. This park has lots of well-maintained grassy areas, good climbing trees, and a path to see the Falls, making it a great park to check out, especially considering that it's free! There's also a dog park located here, bathrooms, picnic tables in a covered pavilion, and charcoal grills.