After spending the weekend on the Canadian Side of Niagara Falls, I decided to pay a visit to Niagara Falls State Park, on the New York side. Not only does it offer the closest overlooks of the falls, but it’s the oldest state park in the country. Even better: it’s open 24/7, so you can experience the majesty of the falls any time of day.
  

I lucked into some free street parking nearby and then headed into the park. There are some gorgeous overlooks of the American falls right from the start.
Niagara Falls State Park in Niagara Falls, New York

Exploring Goat Island

Walking or driving across a bridge will take you to Goat Island, which is what divides the Canadian falls from the American ones. You can explore the island, and get up close right at the brinks of all three waterfalls.
Niagara Falls State Park in Niagara Falls, New York
One of the coolest spots is on Luna Island, the tiny little bit of land that separates Bridal Veil falls from the rest of the American falls. Standing right between two waterfalls is a really neat experience. Looking straight down at the rocks below gives a pretty good idea of why those barrel-over-the-falls thrill-seekers back in the day picked the more intimidating Horseshoe falls for their stunts.
Bridal Veil Falls in Niagara Falls State Park in Niagara Falls, New York

Looking straight out over the top of Bridal Veil Falls

Walking around the island gives you a chance to enjoy every angle of the falls. I love taking pictures, so just wandering around with my camera was a great way to kill the afternoon.
Niagara Falls State Park in Niagara Falls, New York
On the south side of Goat Island, you can access bridges to the much-smaller Three Sisters Islands that take you out into the main river channel. You can see the water around you picking up speed as it rushes toward the upcoming drop. One couple nearby decided to climb the railings and take some selfies right along the river bank. I was pretty sure that I was going to see natural selection in action, but they made it back in one piece.
Niagara Falls State Park in Niagara Falls, New York

This is not a good idea.

Rainbow Bridge Crossing

International Boundary Line between the United States and Canada on the Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls

As I was leaving the park, I noticed the sign for the walking bridge to Canada. The closest crossing to the falls has a pedestrian lane so visitors can walk back and forth between the two sides. Since I still had my passport on me, I decided to go for it even though I was pretty well frozen by that point. I’ve crossed international borders by plane, train, and car before, but never on foot, so this experience was something new. The mist coming up from the water kind of obscured the view of the Canadian falls, but walking out on the bridge gave a unique view that I’d never seen before and was well worth it. Keep in mind that this is an international border, so once you set foot on the bridge, you’ll need a passport to get back into the US.

International Boundary Line between the United States and Canada on the Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls

Read about our time on the Canadian side of the falls here.

Have you ever visited Niagara Falls? Let me know in the comments.

And don’t forget to pin this post for later!

Niagara Falls State Park, on the New York side, offers a chance to get up close and personal with the waterfalls.

Don't miss a chance to visit Niagara Falls State Park on the New York side of the river to get up close to the famous waterfalls.