Hi there!
Niagara Falls is one of the best places to travel in New York! This is an especially popular travel destination in the summer.
This is where you will find the most famous waterfalls in the state of New York!
And, there are many ways to experience Niagara Falls!
I made a trip to Niagara Falls a part of my Western New York road trip, and here’s what you need to know about Niagara Falls NY to have a fun time with beautiful views! I also went camping during this trip, so I have ideas for where to camp with beautiful views too!
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1. Prospect Point
Prospect Point is one of the main viewing spots for the Niagara Falls waterfalls. This is on the mainland side of Niagara Falls State Park.
You can see American Falls from Prospect Point. You will be at the top of Niagara Falls.
2. Terrapin Point
Terrapin Point is one of the other main viewing spot for the Niagara Falls waterfalls. This is on Goat Island of Niagara Falls State Park.
You can see Horseshoe Falls from Terrapin Point. You will be at the top of Niagara Falls.
From Terrapin Point, you can also walk the Goat Island trail to Three Sisters Islands.
See more about Terrapin Point and Three Sisters Islands bridge walk.
3. Luna Island
Luna Island is another viewing spot for the Niagara Falls waterfalls. You get to Luna Island by walking across a bridge from Goat Island of Niagara Falls State Park.
You can see American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls from Luna Island. You will be at the top of Niagara Falls.
From Luna Island, if you look down below of Bridal Veil Falls, you will also see people experiencing Cave of the Winds.
See more about Luna Island.
4. Cave of the Winds
Cave of the Winds is one of the popular paid activities to really experience the Niagara Falls. Your Cave of the Winds journey starts on Goat Island.
You will walk the Cave of the Winds trail to be at the bottom of Bridal Veil Falls of Niagara Falls.
THE experience to have at Cave of the Winds is to stand at the hurricane deck where you can feel the power of Niagara Falls!
You WILL get wet! Make sure you have a way to waterproof your phone for Niagara Falls!
You want to make sure you are wearing waterproof shoes or sandals. They used to be provided, but they aren’t anymore. It does seem like you still get a free poncho with your ticket.
It will be best to pack light for this though so you aren’t carrying around so much.
If you bring a small backpack (good for putting your shoes in so you can be hands free!), you can wear it under your poncho.
The cost of the Niagara Falls experience at Cave of the Winds is $21 per person in summer 2024. Check current fees here as well as how to buy tickets.
5. Maid of the Mist boat ride
Maid of the Mist is another one of the popular paid activities to really experience the Niagara Falls. Your Maid of the Mist Niagara Falls boat journey starts at Prospect Point Park.
You’ll take a boat ride along the Niagara River where you’ll feel the “mist” of Niagara Falls! You can feel the power of the Niagara Falls waterfalls!
When I went to Prospect Point Park a few years ago at around 1pm, the line for Maid of the Mist looked sooo long! I skipped Maid of the Mist… and the Niagara Falls Observation Tower (next).
The cost of the Niagara Falls boat ride for Maid of the Mist is around $30 per person in summer 2024. Check current fees here.
6. Niagara Falls Observation Tower
The Niagara Falls Observation Tower is the popular paid activity to see Niagara Falls from higher above than you can get from the other viewpoints. You will get to the Observation Tower from Prospect Point Park.
According to Niagara Falls State Park:
Niagara Falls USA Observation Tower provides the only panoramic view of all three Niagara Falls, including the American Falls.
If you will be doing the Maid of the Mist boat ride, the Niagara Falls Observation Tower will be a part of your journey! You will take an elevator down to the Niagara River from the Observation Tower to get on the boat.
But you don’t have to do the boat ride in order to see the views of Niagara Falls from the Observation Tower. You can go here as a separate activity.
The cost of the Niagara Falls Observation Tower is $1.25 per person in summer 2024. Check current fees here.
So those are among the best activities you can do in Niagara Falls State Park. Next, we are moving on further north to experience the Niagara Gorge and more of the Niagara River!
7. Whirlpool State Park
Whirlpool State Park is one of the spots to go for the Niagara Gorge. Niagara Falls State Park to Whirlpool State Park is around a 10 minute drive.
You can make Whirlpool State Park a quick stop by doing a short walk out to the Whirlpool Point scenic overlook to see the Niagara River and the Whirlpool rapids.
Or, stay a little longer and walk along the Niagara Gorge Rim Trail where you can see walk with views of the Niagara River!
Or, stay even longer and take the stairs down to hike the Whirlpool trail that’s directly along the river!
There is no entry fee or parking fee for Whirlpool State Park, so this is one of the FREE things to do in Niagara Falls NY. You can also get on the free Discover Niagara shuttle from Whirlpool State Park.
See more about things to do in Whirlpool State Park.
8. Devils Hole State Park
Devil’s Hole State Park is another one of the spots to go for the Niagara Gorge. Niagara Falls State Park to Devil’s Hole State Park is around a 10 minute drive, just a little further up the main road past Whirlpool State park.
You can again make Devil’s Hole State Park a quick stop by to see the views of the Niagara River from above.
Or, stay longer and take the stairs down to hike the Devil’s Hole trail that’s directly along the river!
There is also the small Devil’s Hole Cave that’s located along this trail. Be paying attention and look out for it or you might miss it!
There is no entry fee or parking fee for Devil’s Hole State Park, so this is another one of the FREE things to do in Niagara Falls NY.
9. Niagara Falls at night: Niagara Falls illumination
And then finally, for one more unique Niagara Falls experience, you can see Niagara Falls at night!
After dark, you can see Niagara Falls lit up in different colors for the Niagara Falls illumination!
The time of the Niagara Falls illumination varies, but in the summer it will start at 7:30pm, 8pm, or 8:30pm. Check the schedule for exact timings for your dates!
Trip to Niagara Falls State Park
To keep things simple, all you need to do once you get to Niagara Falls NY is navigate to Niagara Falls State Park!
All of the popular Niagara Falls viewpoints can be found in Niagara Falls State Park, including Prospect Point and Terrapin Point.
Niagara Falls State Park basically has 2 sections to it.
There’s part of the state park that’s on the “mainland” New York.
And then there’s another part of the state park that’s on Goat Island, and you’ll drive across a small bridge to get there. (It is also possible to walk across the bridge.)
There are actually 3 separate waterfalls that make up Niagara Falls:
- American Falls
- Horseshoe Falls
- Bridal Veil Falls
You can see all 3 of these Niagara Falls waterfalls in Niagara Falls State Park.
Camping near Niagara Falls
For camping in a New York state park near Niagara Falls, the Four Mile Creek State Park campground can be perfect!
This campground is around a 30 minute drive from Niagara Falls, and it’s located right along Lake Ontario!
Niagara Falls is connected to the Niagara River. And then Niagara River is connected to Lake Ontario.
So camping along Lake Ontario is another way that you can experience all things related to Niagara Falls!
This also means that you can spend your day in Niagara Falls, and then return to the campground for a Lake Ontario sunset!
For more of Lake Ontario, you can make a day trip to Lake Ontario lighthouses from Niagara Falls.
See more about Lake Ontario camping near Niagara Falls.
Cost to visit Niagara Falls State Park
There is no entry fee for Niagara Falls State Park, but there is a parking fee at the parking lots near the popular viewpoints.
The parking fee at Niagara Falls State Park for parking lots #1 (Prospect Point) and #2 (Goat Island) is around $10-15 for the day. (Higher on weekend days of Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.)
The parking fee for parking lot #3 (Goat Island) that’s a bit further away is FREE Monday through Thursday, not including holidays. Otherwise it’s a $10 parking fee on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Confirm current fees.
There is also a dedicated space for RV parking at parking lot #3, and that is $20 for the day on weekends.
If you have a New York state park pass, then the cost of parking is free at Niagara Falls State Park.
If you are staying at a New York state park campground on the day you go to Niagara Falls State Park, then parking is also free.
For getting around Niagara Falls NY, you may also be interested in riding the Discover Niagara shuttle which is FREE, or the Niagara scenic trolley which is $3 for an all-day pass.
You may also be interested in the paid activities within Niagara Falls State Park, which can range from $1 to $25 depending on what you want to do. (On the list below!)
You can have a great Niagara Falls experience even without these paid activities. But the paid Niagara Falls activities will likely turn out to be the most memorable parts of your Niagara Falls experience if you choose to do them!
RECAP: 3 best things to do in Niagara Falls for a well-rounded Niagara Falls New York experience!
1. Top of Niagara Falls from Prospect Point or Terrapin Point
2. Bottom of Niagara Falls from Cave of the Winds or Maid of the Mist
👆 Cave of the Winds
3. Hike the Niagara Gorge in Whirlpool State Park or Devils Hole State Park
And that’s a bit about planning a trip to Niagara Falls on the New York side!
👆 Spot the rainbow!
You can also make Niagara Falls a perfect part of a Western New York road trip!
Plan more of your road trip from Niagara Falls… or make it a day trip from Niagara Falls!
- Lake Ontario lighthouses near Niagara Falls NY
- Things to do in the Finger Lakes in western NY
- Things to do near Canandaigua Lake
- Things to do in Letchworth State Park (more of New York’s best waterfalls!)
My most recent trip to Niagara Falls was in July 2021 as part of a Western New York road trip. Your experience may vary!
There are partner websites included in this post. I may earn a commission.