Niagara Falls, NY · Niagara Gorge, Western New York
About
Niagara Falls is not the tallest waterfall in the country, but it moves more water than any other in North America, and that is the whole point. Three falls make up the set: Horseshoe Falls (about 187 feet and shared with Canada), plus the American Falls and slim Bridal Veil Falls, both entirely on the New York side. Average flow runs around 85,000 cubic feet per second, and you feel it in your chest before you reach the railing. The New York vantage puts you above the American Falls at Prospect Point, then down beside the water on the Cave of the Winds decks, close enough to get soaked. Niagara Falls State Park, the oldest state park in the country (1885, laid out by Frederick Law Olmsted), is free to enter and open year-round. The falls run all winter; the Maid of the Mist boats and Cave of the Winds decks are seasonal, roughly May to October.
Highlights
Highest flow rate of any waterfall in North AmericaHorseshoe Falls ~187 ft; American Falls ~70 to 100 ftAverage flow ~85,000 cubic feet per secondOldest US state park (est. 1885, designed by Olmsted)Free park entry, open year-roundMaid of the Mist and Cave of the Winds seasonal (May to Oct)
Everglades National Park protects 1.5 million acres of subtropical wilderness at the southern tip of Florida, the largest such ecosystem in North America. It is the only place in the world where alligators and crocodiles coexist, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site home to manatees, wading birds, and the elusive Florida panther. Visitors can walk the famed Anhinga Trail, paddle mangrove waterways, or take an airboat-free ranger tour through the 'River of Grass.'
Located almost 70 miles west of Key West in the Gulf of Mexico, Dry Tortugas National Park is a remote cluster of seven small islands reachable only by ferry or seaplane. Its centerpiece is Fort Jefferson, one of the nation's largest 19th-century masonry forts, surrounded by crystal-clear waters renowned for snorkeling, coral reefs, and shipwrecks. The park is also a haven for nesting seabirds and migratory birds.
One of Florida's oldest and largest state parks, Myakka spreads 37,000 acres of wetlands, prairies, and hammocks along the slow Myakka River east of Sarasota. Climb the canopy walkway, the first public treetop trail in North America, suspended 25 feet up with a tower above the oaks, then board one of the giant airboats for an alligator-lined cruise on Upper Myakka Lake. Winter brings cooler air and crowds of wading birds.
