Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
TURNING OFF THE FALLS
If you stood at Prospect Point in August 1969, you could not have appreciated the
raging beauty of the Niagara River as it plummeted over the brink of the falls. That's
because the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had de-watered American Falls earlier
that summer. A temporary earthen dam was built across the river that feeds Americ-
an and Bridal Veil Falls so that scientists could study the bedrock and assess whether
it needed tobeshoredup.Engineers checked outthe rocksgathered beneath the falls
with an eye on removing them for aesthetic purposes.
While the technicians drilled and measured the rocks, a temporary walkway was
constructed so tourists could walk on the dry riverbed just a few yards away from
the rocky brink. Record numbers of tourists came to see the oddity throughout the
summer and fall. In November, the earthen dam was removed and water once again
flowed over the falls. In the end, the Army Corps of Engineers recommended that
only a few minor changes should be made to the falls and the rocks at the bottom of
American Falls should remain.
The Observation Tower is among the best bargains in all of Niagara. Admission is in-
cluded in the cost of the Maid of the Mist ticket, or can be purchased à la carte ($1). The
tower is closed during foul weather or high winds.
Prospect Point
Prospect Point
is located at the brink of American Falls, near the Observation Tower Plat-
form. It affords an excellent view of the entire American Falls crest line and the upper rap-
ids of the Niagara River. The upper rapids form as the riverbed drops more than 55 feet
in elevation while the river runs east around Goat Island. A pedestrian bridge 300 yards
upstream from Prospect Point has the best view of the churning, frothy white water of the
upperrapids.Atnight,lightsalongtheshorelineilluminate theupperrapids,asurrealspec-
tacle to behold.
Goat Island
Goat Island
sitsbetween HorseshoeFalls andBridal VeilFalls, affordingperhapsthemost
visceral on-land experience of Niagara on the U.S. side of the border. The island parts the
river in two, creating different areas for the water to channel its moods. The island is home
