Niagara Falls

Niagara Falls is one of the natural wonders of North America, drawing millions of visitors each year. There are many interesting ways to see the falls, from walkways above the falls to sightseeing boats that take visitors right to the base. The falls are located along the Canada-USA border, with great viewing opportunities from both sides.
•The Falls at Niagara are about 12,000 years old
•Falls were formed when melting glaciers formed massive fresh-water lakes (the Great Lakes) one of which (Lake Erie) ran downhill toward another (Lake Ontario). The rushing waters carved out a river in their descent and at one point passed over a steep cliff like formation (the Niagara escarpment). From the original falls going over the Niagara Escarpment, the water began to wear its way back up the river. The path that it left is known today as the Niagara Gorge (a deeply-cut and very scenic river path).

•Currently, Niagara Falls wears its way back another approximately 1 foot/year.
•The Niagara River flows at approximately 35 miles/hour (56.3 kilometers/hour).
•There are actually two waterfalls in Niagara, the American Falls and the Canadian Horseshoe Falls.
•It is the combination of height and water flow that makes Niagara Falls so beautiful.
•The Horseshoe Falls are 180 feet (57 meters) high and allow 6 million cubic feet (168,000 cubic meters) of water over the crestline every minute during peak daytime tourist hours (that is about a million bathtubs full of water every minute!).
•Man-made attractions of Niagara Falls include Maid of the Mist, Table Rock Scenic Tunnels, Spanish Aero Car, Ripley's Believe it or Not Museum, Marineland, Casino Niagara, IMAX Theatre, and the new Butterfly Conservatory.