Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls is an obvious choice if you are exploring New York. There are different ways to see the falls, so we didn’t include our usual coordinates and hike times. You can choose the New York side or the Canadian side, though the Canadian side has the better view of the whole falls. You do need to bring a passport to cross the bridge, though you can still get a great view of the falls from New York if you don’t have one.
The Canadian side is considerably more fun though, as it is sort of a Disney World/carnival tourist attraction. The New York side is rather sad in comparison, to be honest. If you do decide to cross to Canada, be aware that the ATM fees to pull out Canadian money are absolutely ridiculous, and plan ahead to avoid them.
http://www.niagarafallsstatepark.com
http://www.niagarafallsusa.org
One interesting nearby attraction (that doesn’t get as much publicity) is the Whirlpool State Park, which we have listed on our map http://seeswim.com/location/whirlpool-state-park/ . You can view the whirlpool from above, or book a boat ride from various sites. If you travel into Canada, you can take a gondola ride, for an aerial view.
