Interesting facts about Niagara Falls

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Niagara Falls has to be visited at least once in a lifetime. So it is not surprising that they are on your list of places to visit during your travel in the United States.

We tell you below some curious and interesting Niagara Falls facts, so if you want to be surprised…. read on!

Origin of the name Niagara Falls

Although there are several theories, one of them comes from when the indigenous people who inhabited the region at the arrival of the French were the Iroquois, who referred to them as “Onguiaahra” and that for some means “the strait” and for others “the roar”.

Niagara Falls as a natural frontier

The Niagara River and the falls form a natural border between the United States and Canada. In fact, Goat Island, which is in the middle of the river separates the U.S. falls from the Canadian falls.
Interestingly, on both sides of the river are cities called Niagara Falls each from one country as well.

World record for largest volume of water fall

Niagara Falls is neither the widest nor the highest in the world, but the combination of Niagara’s three great waterfalls move an average water volume of 110,000 m³ per minute, making it the waterfall with the highest volume of fall.

If it already leaves us speechless to imagine it, imagine if you take a tour to Niagara Falls and see it from up close… not every day you can live such an impressive experience.

The flow feeds into the Great Lakes

The watercourse of the Falls comes from the so-called Lake Superior and from there, the water travels through Lakes Huron and Eerie which are channeled with the Niagara River. When they fall over the falls they continue their way to Lake Ontario and reach the sea through the St Lawrence River.

Come on, to give you an idea, it is estimated that this entire water system corresponds to 1/5th of all the fresh water in the world, crazy!

The falls move every year

Something that surprises tourists and at the same time worries geologists is the great erosion power of the water that makes the waterfall slowly lose its height.

Although it has been controlled, it is curious to know that 12,000 years ago the waterfall was 7 miles downstream, that is, more than 1.5 km.

The pity is that it is estimated that one day the Falls will cease to exist…. so now is your time to visit them! Don’t worry though, there are still thousands of years to go before that happens.

Niagara Falls is protected

Another of the Niagara falls facts is that the U.S. side is part of Niagara Falls State Park, one of the first national parks in the United States since 1885.

Architect Frederick Law Olmsted is the same landscape designer who designed Central Park in New York City.

Ecological wealth

In addition, the Niagara River is a true natural paradise that is home to hundreds of species of animals and flora.

There are up to 14 endangered endemic plant species, as well as animals such as the Lake sturgeon which is also an endangered species.

Jumping into the void

There are some brave people who have jumped the Falls, some of them being Sam Patch in 1829 and Annie Edson Taylor in 1901. Both sought to experience the feeling of emptiness and adrenaline and fortunately survived to tell the tale.

But not everyone has had the same luck, so even if we’re itching to try it… it’s better not to do it!

Do you already know everything you should know before traveling to the United States, because then you just have to get ready to visit the most impressive waterfalls in the country.