Niagara Gorge hiking and biking trails
Niagara Gorge is 6M/9K in length from the Falls to Niagara Escarpment
Hours: Sunrise to Sunset
There are no fees to use the trails.
Trails open seven days a week year round.
Visitors average 1-4 hours here.
Restrooms open year round at Whirlpool Park in NY
Free parking available at all Niagara Gorge Parks in NY
Restrooms available at Niagara Glen June-Oct. in Canada
Fee based parking at Niagara Glen in Canada
The WeGo Shuttle stops near the White Water Walk and Niagara Glen Nature Center trails in Canada. The the Discover Niagara Shuttle has many stops along the Niagara Gorge on the US side of the Niagara River.
If you enjoy hiking you will love some of the beautiful trails along the Niagara Gorge. There are numerous trails on the New York US side of the river from the Falls to the village of Lewiston. In Ontario Canada the Niagara Gorge can be accessed from the White Water Walk or the Niagara Glen.
The Niagara River flows north for thirteen miles from Niagara Falls to Lake Ontario.
The first six miles the Niagara River has created a deep chasm over the last 13,000 years. This area is known as the Niagara Gorge and offers many scenic views including four international bridges, a giant whirlpool, the largest set of standing rapids in the northern hemisphere and two massive hydroelectric plants.
NIAGARA GORGE TRAILS IN USA
There are many options available and you can travel the length of the entire Niagara Gorge on paved bike/walking pathways with no automobile traffic. There are four trails which lead down to the river.
Closest to Niagara Falls is the Power Station Trail accessed from near the Power Plant Ruins Site. It is a leisurely path with a gentle twenty minute decent to the river. The Great Gorge Trail leads to the same location as the Power Station Trail at the river but requires descending a series of stairs and paths to reach the river. Using both trails combined with a walk along the gorge rim is about one hour round trip.
The Whirlpool trail accessed from Whirlpool Park has amazing views of the rapids and giant whirlpool. From the parking area to the whirlpool is a twenty minute hike and an additional twenty minutes to the end of the trail. The stairs leading down to the river are not well marked. From the parking area head north and follow the trail along the gorge. Five minutes later you will see a non-descript entrance to the stairs. Once you descend the stairs and reach the river turn left to walk to the whirlpool and rapids or turn right and walk to the Devils Hole trail. The Whirlpool Rapids are the largest white water rapids in the northern hemisphere and known as the Himalayans of whitewater.
North of Devils Hole and the Hydro-Electric Plant is the ArtPark Trail. This trail leads to ArtPark in the Village of Lewiston. In season the Discover Niagara Shuttle makes stops near all trails along the Niagara Gorge.
NIAGARA GORGE TRAILS IN CANADA
On the Canadian side of the Niagara Gorge there are three locations for accessing the river. The first is the White Water Walk attraction. An elevator conveniently transports you to the bottom of the gorge which leads to a tree covered boardwalk that provides spectacular views of the rapids.
There is a very small paid parking area with stairs that lead to the river right at the Whirlpool 2 k / 1.2 m north of White Water Walk. There are no restrooms available and it’s about 200 steps each way so bring water and stay hydrated.
A better option is 4 k/ 2.5 miles north of the White Water Walk is the Niagara Glen trails that provide well maintained paths to the river. Fee based parking is available at the Niagara Glen Nature Center.
Niagara Glen Trail Map
Niagara River Whitewater Rapids.
