The roaring, cascading waters of Niagara Falls look as captivating and stunning in summer as they do in winter.
Anyone who has seen Niagara in the summer should plan to do so in the winter months too because it's an altogether different world out there in winter when the entire area of Niagara Falls State Park gets enveloped in a thick snow cover...
There are two vantage points to see the falls.
From the Canadian side, you can see the entire stretch comprising the three falls, the American Falls right in front of you, the Bridal Veil Falls next to it and the Horseshoe Falls that you can watch from up close.
If you're watching from the US side, then you get a sidelong view of the American and Bridal Veil Falls and a straight yet partial view of the Horseshoe Falls.
The Rainbow International Bridge joins the two shores of the mighty Niagara River on the American and Canadian sides.
Interestingly, this glorious natural wonder has never made it to the prestigious UNESCO World Heritage Sites list. The reason is that the area around the falls, both in Canada and in the US has been developed to cater to mass tourism while the UNESCO Heritage Sites have to adhere to strict environmental and other factors before they can be included in this list.
It's easy to cross the bridge and see the falls from both ends provided you have the requisite visa.
What you get to see and what you miss in winter
Let me start with what you will miss in Niagara in winter. You miss a ride on the Maid of the Mist, the mesmerising sightseeing boat tour that takes visitors right into the thick of the falls as they fall in a deafening roar right in front of you.
The ride gets suspended in winter and re-opens only in April depending on ice conditions. In any case, going up and close to Niagara Falls is a very wet experience, doing it in the sub-freezing winter temperature would be suicidal!
The ride generally takes place between April to early November.
And now, what you do get to see in winter is a glorious winter wonderland with ice-coated trees, white mammoth rocks and spiky icicles jutting out from the edges of the falls as they plunge into the abyss below.
If you have it in you to bear the numbing chill and the lashes of cold winds hitting against your face and a taste for a grey and exciting scenery, the falls will not disappoint you in winter.
The iconic tour of Journey Behind the Falls is open all year round. In winter, the Lower Observation Deck is closed because of icy conditions but you may still take the elevator to the Great Falls Portal behind the falls and walk up to the Upper Deck very close to the falls.
I cannot comment more on this since I have never dared to do this tour in winter.
An exciting activity that you also can do in winter is go up to the Skylon Tower.
The 764-foot-high tower offers panoramic views of the falls from its indoor and outdoor observation decks. You can also save yourself from the chill by spending time at the various entertainment areas the tower offers.
Another fun activity that is open in all seasons is the Niagara Skywheel on Clifton Hill. This 10 to 12-minute ride will give you a spectacular view of the scenery all around with a vantage point as high as 175 feet above ground. The Skywheel has air-tight climate-controlled gondolas that ensure that you soak in the glorious views all around in comfort.
But one splendid view that you miss neither summer nor winter is the Niagara Falls light up at night...
The view in winter...
And the glorious view in summer....
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