Experience Niagara Falls In The Winter

Sam and I pride ourselves in traveling to places at their, well, least-loved seasons. Chicago in February, NYC in a snowstorm, and Canada in the Polar Vortex! But hey, we love living on the edge and clearly, the cold doesn’t bother us anyway. (Frozen reference for ya).

If you have been reading this blog, you know Sam loves sports and one of his goals is to see every basketball arena. I have never been to Canada; so we took advantage of the 3-day weekend, packed our snow boots, and headed north! Our plan was to stop in Niagara for a day, then head to Toronto for a Raptors game!

I have always been a winter kind of person, second to autumn of course. Seeing the cities and countryside covered in a blanket of snow makes me happy! I love seeing the icicles and frozen ponds. Everything seems more peaceful when snow is falling. (Unless you live in Northern VA, and people drive crazy).

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When we were looking at the weather for the weekend, we realized it would either be snowing or never get above 15 degrees F. Yes, we are crazy, but we also were prepared. We layered on hats, gloves, underlayers, jackets, and sweaters! The only thing that was cold, were our toes.

There are two sides you can visit for Niagara Falls; the USA side and the Canadian side. Most people say the Canadian side is better, but I believe they both have great viewpoints!

This blog is all about what to do in Niagara, how to get there, and tips on crossing the border!

USA Side-New York

We decided it would be cheaper to drive to Niagara Falls. It wasn’t a bad drive; we left around 2 pm from Virginia, and arrived in Niagara, on the New York side around 10 pm (with a dinner stop in between). We stayed at the Holiday Inn hotel, on the US side and had a great view of the falls!

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After we checked in, we dropped off our bags and headed into the park! The Niagara Falls State Park is open year-round, 24/7.

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Illuminations

We could not believe we were the only ones in the park at night! It was crazy to walk around by ourselves (in the dark!) and see the falls! The falls are usually lit by hundreds of LED lights; depending on the time of year you go, there are different colors for different occasions. They can be anything from teal to purple, to orange. We saw them change from red to blue, to a combination of red and blue. It was so pretty! Both the American Falls and the Horseshoe Falls are illuminated starting every night of the year at dusk until about 1-2 am.

American Falls

There are three parts to Niagara Falls; the American Falls is the second largest of the three. There are several viewpoints to see the American Falls.

One is located to the left of the falls. This is where we saw the Illumination colors the night before. This is a great spot to see the falls from a farther standing point.

The second location is to the right of the falls. Here you can actually feel the mist!! It was so crazy!

• Parking $5 for the day

Bridal Veil Falls

The Bridal Veil Falls are the smallest of the three falls. They are right next to the American Falls (I thought they were one and the same lol).

Cave of the Winds

One of the fun things to do in the summer is to experience the cave of the winds! This is where you can get right up close and personal with the falls! You are given sandals and a poncho that may or may not keep you dry! Then, you descend 175 ft. into the Niagara Gorge. As soon as you step off the elevator you see the wooden walkways. You can get super close to the Bridal Falls on the “Hurricane Deck”; if you prefer to stay a bit drier, stay on the observation deck! It is around $7 to experience the Cave of the Winds!

Observation Tower

Another great spot to view the falls is the observation tower. Now, it was free to get in, when we visited. And obviously, no line, because we were practically the only ones there. But, I can not say for sure in the summer what it would be like and if you pay to enter.

This was one of my favorite spots on the American side! You had a perfect view of the American Falls and the Horseshoe Falls! It was fantastic!

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Maid of the Mist

Of course, the most popular thing to do at Niagara is the Maid of the Mist! This is where you can get up close and personal with the Horseshoe Falls, in the safety of a boat. Only available in the summer; you start at the observational tower, given the classic poncho, and head towards the falls! It is around $19.25 for adults.

Crossing the US/Canadian Border

After spending the morning in NY Niagara, it was time to visit our neighbors! Here are just a few tips on how to cross the border (via Rainbow Bridge):

• Bring your passport
• There will be a toll for crossing the bridge (if you have an EZ pass, that will work also)
• We were not asked to get out of our car
• We were only asked about our plans in Canada; how long and where we were staying, what would we be doing, and where our home is in the USA
• Easy-peasy!

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Canada Side-Ontario

Horseshoe Falls 

We made it to Canada!! And I’m officially in love! We found a parking lot ($10) and headed straight to see the falls! I was honestly floored at how beautiful and powerful they are up close! It was peaceful to sit and watch!

Canada was a frozen wonderland and the entire railing was covered with ice! It was crazy! After we had taken as many photos as we could, we stopped inside the visitor center at Tim Horton’s. We got the most amazing hot chocolate and chili to warm us up (and donuts of course).

Skylon Observation Deck

This is one of the top observational desks to see the Horseshoe Falls! It takes a total of 52 seconds to get to the top – 775 ft! From there you will have an incredible view of the Horseshoe Falls! There is an indoor and outdoor deck-be sure to check out both! You can also see Toronto and Buffalo from the top! Unfortunately, we did not make it to the top; however, I would put it on your list! It is around $20 to get in.

Journey behind the falls

Another great view of the falls is behind the falls! For only $13, you are able to stand right behind the falls and feel the incredible mist! To get to the viewpoint, you travel inside 130-year-old tunnels and down 125 ft! You are able to hear and feel the thunderous falls before you reach them! Did you know the Horseshoe Falls are 13-stories high?! Standing on the observational desk, you will certainly get wet! Don’t forget your poncho!

We had such a great time in Niagara Falls! It was incredible to see them frozen in the winter blast! What made it most unique was on the Canadian side they still had Christmas lights up!! It was so cute! I would love to come back in the summer to be able to experience the falls close up! The winter was a great time to visit though; it was cheaper, with hardly any crowds, and getting to see everything covered with snow!

-Barrel rides available (JK DO NOT try that)

Until the next destination!

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