Nature's Niagara: A Walk on the Wild Side

Niagara Falls is one of the wonders of North America, but had the bad luck to be discovered before the National Park idea came into being. But there is still much to be seen, experienced, and understood, despite the water diversions, power plants, casinos, and wax museums. The delightful book explores many of these facts and features, especially the creation and evolution of the falls after the glaciers retreated. Among the interesting things you will learn is that the American Falls are not even 1,000 years old, that the Niagara River gorge runs partly through a gorge that existed in the previous ice epoch, that the Falls as a whole is about 11,000 years old, and that when it began, there were as many as six or seven different waterfalls. The history of the area's geological formations and the various rock layers you will see are also excellently discussed. A particularly interesting feature is the artist's depiction of how the falls may have looked at various stages. The writer is a lifelong resident of the area, and his expertise on the falls, how they came to be and how they stay as a cataract make fascinating reading. The book is well-organized and well-written. The book may be purchased at the American Falls State Park on the New York side of the river. It is the best book I have seen to give an appreciation of what the reader is observing. I highly recommend it.