8 Extraordinary Photos You Need to Take in Niagara Falls

One of the absolute most gorgeous natural areas in all of North America, as well as the self-dubbed '8th Natural Wonder of the World', Niagara Falls is undoubtedly one of the most entrancing places to snap some good travel photos.

There is so much we could say about the power, influence, and picturesque qualities of this wonder, but we'll keep it short and sweet and throw a few fun facts about the falls you may not know, then get into the 8 most essential, most extraordinary photos you need to take during your visit!

Niagara Falls State Park is the oldest state park in America, established in 1885 at the Niagara Reservation
Over 8 million visitors explore Niagara Falls State Park annually.
Niagara Falls is comprised of three waterfalls, from largest to smallest, the Horseshoe Falls (also known as the Canadian Falls), American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls.
Niagara Falls is not the tallest waterfall in the world; however, the beauty of the falls comes from the height and the incredible volume of water running over the falls at a given time.
Power generation facilities along the Niagara River supply more than one-quarter of all power used in New York State and Ontario.
Some of the absolute COOLEST waterfall shots can be acquired here, with the right eye and some careful planning!

Information courtesy of our friends at Niagara Falls USA

Cave of the Winds
'Risky Shot'

This photo is one of the coolest, and sometimes most difficult, to get on our list. While undoubtedly you will be battling hordes of tourists in the way of that perfect shot, you may want to be more worried about the heavy mist ruining your camera. It's worth it, though, if you can manage!

The Cave of the Winds was a cave behind Bridal Veil Falls at the Niagara Falls, sitting around 130 feet high, 100 feet wide and 30 feet in depth. A rock collapse closed off the cavern for good in 1954, and today visitors take a journey up the front side of the falls on a series of wooden decks.

Cave of the Winds Hurricane Deck

Cave of the Winds Rapids
Maid of the Mist
'Essential Picture'

There is no way you are coming to Niagara Falls and not riding the Maid of the Mist, so of course, you HAVE to get a photo during the experience. Much like the Cave of the Winds, and many other things here in Niagara, you need to be careful of the obviously wet conditions, be sure to have a waterproof camera/phone case, wrap your phone in a plastic bag, or keep it under your poncho. Again, any shot you can get of the falls from the Maid of the Mist is well worth it!

Visitors start off near Rainbow Bridge and then make their way past the American and Bridal Veil Falls, then deep into the mist of Horseshoe Falls. Hold on to your poncho tight!

Aboard the Maid of the Mist

Views of the Falls from the Maid of the Mist
Rainbow Bridge
'The Easy Shot'

Any shot of Rainbow Bridge always turns out to be a good one, this amazingly picturesque structure both pleasant to look at and a great focal point in the midst of an ever greater landscape. This shot is taken from the Canada side looking at the US, but trust us, it's great from any angle.

Rainbow Bridge sees an estimated 6 billion pounds of water cross underneath in one single minute, the wind and rush of rapids far below reason enough to venture out for a stroll with your camera on the bridge.

Rainbow Bridge from Canada Side
Seaway Trail
'Nature Photo'

The scenic Seaway Trail can be found along the Niagara River on the US side. It is a peaceful, usually less crowded place to bump into locals biking or walking their dog and enjoying the calm sounds of the river. River shots, bird shots, local fauna shots...there are several good ones to get here!

This trail is part of a much larger trail system, The Great Lakes Seaway Trail. All in all the trail is 518 miles and meant to be a scenic driving route, touching the shores of Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, the St. Lawrence River, and of course the Niagara River.

Seagull - Pixabay Public Domain
Local Foods (Buffalo Wings and Wecks)
'The Foodie Shot'
Okay, so we don't technically have our own photos of the iconic Buffalo Wings and regional Weck sandwiches, but we do have a few other local gems.Buffalo wing and cheese eggrolls start our list, followed by freshly brewed Niagara hops, ending on a strong note with the local Culinary Institutes Salmon and Risotto. We really have no tips for foodie photos, you know what you're doing here food photo lovers! Just get the right lighting!
Buffalo Wing Eggroll

Local Brews at Niagara Brewery

Fine Foods at Savor - Culinary Institute of Niagara
Canada Views, Eh?
'Classic Canadian Shot'

Getting a good photo of the falls from the Canadian side is a must. You get an infinitely better angle the Canadian Falls themselves, plus you get to see all the falls at once! You can even work in the Canadian skyline, as we did below.

Classic 'Canada Side' Photo
Canada Skyline
'Night Shot'

Don't get us wrong, the Canadian skyline is stunningly superb in the daylight, but there is just something about the lights of both the city and the falls that make it extra magical at night. Get your night settings ready on your camera and have to go to town! If you are here on a Friday or Saturday night you should be camera ready at 10 pm when a seriously spectacular firework show above the falls kicks off.

The great thing about this photo opportunity is that most hotels on the American side have a great view of the skyline. The below photo was shot from the 7th floor of the Scenic Downtown Holiday Inn.

Canada Skyline at Night
Old Fort Niagara
'The Historic Photo'

There are SO MANY great photo opportunities at Old Fort Niagara, from revolutionary cannons to wartime structures your camera is itching to get to know.

This fort was originally built in 1726 to protect the interests of New France in North America. It sits technically in Youngstown, NY, at the mouth of the Niagara River.

Old Fort Niagara - Pixabay Stock Photo