Road Trip Niagara Falls to Niagara-on-the-Lake
Niagara Falls
Niagara-on-the-Lake
30
km
0h30
drive
All seasons
season
The Itinerary
The Niagara Parkway follows the Canadian bank of the Niagara River for roughly 30 km, from the falls downstream to Niagara-on-the-Lake. Winston Churchill is widely quoted as calling it the prettiest Sunday afternoon drive in the world, and the road has been deliberately protected: the Niagara Parks Commission controls the land on the river side, so there is no commercial strip between the pavement and the water. The speed limit is low, the lanes are narrow, and the point is to stop often rather than to make time.
Heading downstream, the first stop is the Whirlpool Aero Car, a cable car that has crossed above the river's whirlpool since 1916. Just past it, the Niagara Glen Nature Reserve drops into the gorge on a set of steep trails that wind between boulders left by the retreating river. The White Water Walk uses a boardwalk at water level beside the Whirlpool Rapids. Further along, the Floral Clock is planted with thousands of bedding plants and changed twice a season, and the Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens sit alongside it.
The drive ends at Niagara-on-the-Lake, where Fort George, a British post built in the 1790s and central to the War of 1812, sits above the river mouth. The parallel Niagara River Recreation Trail runs the full length of the parkway and continues south to Fort Erie, making this an easy day by bicycle. The parkway stays open year-round, but the gardens and gorge trails are at their best from May to October.
Heading downstream, the first stop is the Whirlpool Aero Car, a cable car that has crossed above the river's whirlpool since 1916. Just past it, the Niagara Glen Nature Reserve drops into the gorge on a set of steep trails that wind between boulders left by the retreating river. The White Water Walk uses a boardwalk at water level beside the Whirlpool Rapids. Further along, the Floral Clock is planted with thousands of bedding plants and changed twice a season, and the Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens sit alongside it.
The drive ends at Niagara-on-the-Lake, where Fort George, a British post built in the 1790s and central to the War of 1812, sits above the river mouth. The parallel Niagara River Recreation Trail runs the full length of the parkway and continues south to Fort Erie, making this an easy day by bicycle. The parkway stays open year-round, but the gardens and gorge trails are at their best from May to October.
Points of Interest
-
✦
Whirlpool Aero CarCable car strung above the whirlpool, running since 1916.
-
✦
Niagara GlenGorge trails winding past glacial erratics.
-
✦
White Water WalkBoardwalk at the foot of the Class VI rapids.
-
✦
Fort GeorgeA 1796 fortification with costumed guards and War of 1812 history.
Fishing Spots Along the Route
Protected areas along the route
🌿
ROCK POINT PROVINCIAL PARK (RECREATIONAL CLASS)
Provincial Park
🌿
JAMES N. ALLAN PROVINCIAL PARK (RECREATIONAL CLASS)
Provincial Park
🌿
WAINFLEET BOG CONSERVATION RESERVE
Conservation Reserve
🌿
SHORT HILLS PROVINCIAL PARK (NATURAL ENVIRONMENT CLASS)
Provincial Park
🌿
Bronte Creek Provincial Park Addition
Recommended Provincial Park
🌿
BRONTE CREEK PROVINCIAL PARK (RECREATIONAL CLASS)
Provincial Park
🌿
Bronte Creek Provincial Park Deletion
Public lands
🌿
DARLINGTON PROVINCIAL PARK (RECREATIONAL CLASS)
Provincial Park
🌿
Orono Forest Crown Lands
General Use Area
🌿
Kendal Crown Land Area
General Use Area
Take this route offline
Cell coverage thins out fast once you leave Niagara Falls. Export the map as a geo-referenced PDF before you go and open it in BorealMaps — your GPS position shows on the map with no signal at all.
Try PDF Export How geo-referenced PDF maps workPractical info
- Departure Niagara Falls
- Destination Niagara-on-the-Lake
- Distance 30 km
- Duration 0h30
- Category Short (< 100 km)
- Best season All seasons
Plan your adventure with our interactive map
Open the map