Established in 1885 as the Niagara Reservation, this is recognized as the first state park in the country, its landscape shaped in part by designer Frederick Law Olmsted. The grounds hug the upper rapids and the brink of the American, Bridal Veil and Horseshoe Falls, giving first-time visitors free, walk-in access to a string of dramatic viewpoints along paved paths and footbridges out to the islands.
Open year-round, the park functions as the gateway to the area's signature paid experiences, including the boat tour, the gorge boardwalks and the observation tower. Walking the shoreline and taking in the cascades costs nothing, making it an easy first stop for orienting yourself to the US side of the falls.
