Young in geologic time, Niagara Falls were created by the recession and melting of a mammoth ice sheet. As the ice retreated some 50,000 years ago the land rose behind it, forming such ridges as the Niagara Escarpment. The melting ice formed a vast lake in what is now Lake Erie and its surrounding lowlands; the lake overflowed about 12,000 years ago, creating Niagara Falls.

The falls originally formed 7 miles north in what is now Lewiston.  Due to erosion they are currently about midway between lakes Erie and Ontario on the Niagara River, a 37-mile-long strait that is bisected by the international boundary. The Canadian, or Horseshoe, Falls are 176 feet high with a deeply curving crest of about 2,200 feet. The American Falls, higher at 184 feet, have a shorter, fairly straight crest of about 1,075 feet. The third and smallest of Niagara's falls, Bridal Veil, is separated from the other falls by Luna and Goat islands.

The first people to gaze upon this natural spectacle were ancestors of the Seneca Indians. They were the area's first inhabitants some 2,000 years ago. One of the earliest Europeans to view the falls was French priest Father Louis Hennepin in 1678. History recounts that upon seeing the spectacle Hennepin fell to his knees in prayer, saying of the falls that ''the universe does not afford its parallel.''  After the devastation of the War of 1812, Niagara Falls entered a new era of peace and prosperity. Settlement began in earnest, and by 1892 Niagara Falls was incorporated as a city. With the arrival of steamships in 1820, the Erie Canal in 1825 and the railroad in 1840, the town became accessible to tourists. An old saw predicts that ''the love of those who honeymoon here will last as long as the falls themselves.''  A different type of romance lured daredevils to the falls in the 1800s and early 1900s. The first stuntster was Sam Patch. He survived two dives into the waters below the falls. The first person to go over the falls in a barrel was Annie Taylor in 1901. William Fitzgerald took the plunge in 1961. He was arrested as soon as he surfaced, because stunts on the river and falls had by then been outlawed.

Water is being diverted more evenly over all three cataracts to protect the soft shale and limestone foundations and to slow the rate of erosion. The combined flow of the river over the three falls would normally be about 3,700,000 litres (977,540 U.S. gallons) per second, but the use of the waters to generate electricity reduces the flow to about 2,842,400 litres (750,960 U.S. gallons) per second during the tourist season.  But the power won't last forever; the falls are eroding about an inch per year. For the next 2,500 years, however, the falls will look much the same as they have since Father Hennepin's visit.

There is no question that the Niagara Falls region is a mishmash of images. In some respects it resembles a sideshow with its wax museums, honeymoon specials and souvenir shops; conversely, it is a well-preserved park where man-made attractions are dwarfed by those of nature. To honeymooners, the city is an exotic destination, yet Niagara Falls is essentially a commercial metropolis.  As long as the falls exist, the tourists will keep arriving. More than 12 million people visit the Canadian side annually, and more film is sold at the falls than anywhere else in the world. On any day of the year countless shutterbugs jockey for position against the railing, just inches from the magnificent crest, in the hope of capturing the beauty, power and majesty of the falls. If they are lucky, a rainbow will appear in the mist, adding splendor to splendor.

Table Rock Complex (1 mile south of Rainbow Bridge on Niagara Pkwy) contains an elevator that descends for a close-up view of Horseshoe Falls and the Niagara River. Three tunnels lead from the elevator and provide excellent vantage points. The observation plaza is about 38 meters (125 ft.) below the gorge embankment and 8 meters (26 ft.) above the river's edge. Saturdays and Sundays in July and August a Mountie in ceremonial uniform is posted near the brink of the falls. Complex opens daily at 9; closing times vary. Tunnels close 30 minutes before complex closing; phone ahead for closing times.

Goat Island [in/near Niagara Falls, NY], in the Niagara River, separates the Canadian and American falls. Easily accessible by foot or vehicular bridge. this wooded island has paved drives and walks that offer spectacular views from the edges of both falls.  The Three Sisters Islands, which lie in the rapids, are accessible by footbridge, as is Luna Island, which lies between the American and Bridal Veil falls.

Great Gorge Adventure is north of the Whirlpool Rapids Bridge on the Niagara Pkwy.  The Adventure includes elevator service to the river level. Visitors can stroll along the boardwalk beside the rapids of the lower Niagara River.