The city of Niagara Falls, Ontario is placed immediately next to one of the great natural wonders of the world — and not by chance. This has brought nature enthusiasts to the city since its foundation. However, many nature lovers would enjoy further ways to experience the outdoors than seeing the waterfall itself. This is easy to remedy as the nature of the place is frankly all around. Perhaps the best part is that you can get an experience in nature and go home to one of the luxurious Canadian hotels near the falls for the night.
Hiking
There are 15 kilometers of footpaths through six different nature areas within the city of Niagara Falls, the guide to which is accessible here. Further, there is the 56-kilometer paved Niagara River Recreation Trail that passes by the Laura Secord Homestead, Olde Fort Erie, MacKenzie Printery and Chippawa Battlefield Park. Devil’s Hole Rapids and Giant Rock and Whirpool Rapids adventure hike provide moderate to strenuous hikes that will take from three to five hours for more experienced hikers. Both of these hikes have age minimums of 8 years old in place.
War of 1812 Battle Site
There are a few War of 1812 battle sites within close proximity of Niagara Falls. The Battle of Chippawa was on July 5, 1814 and between British and American forces. The battle led to an American victory that would eventually lead to the battle of Lundy Lane. However, both of these battles would pale in comparison to the battle at Old Fort Erie which was the bloodiest battle ever fought on Canadian soil: the Siege of Fort Erie. The besieged Americans, having taken and expanded the fort a year earlier, would successfully defend the fort against the British by inflicting approximately equal casualties and wounded while capturing 508 more men than the Brits. The British would lift the siege and retire shortly thereafter but the Americans abandoned and demolished the fort after learning of the British attack on Washington D.C.
Golfing
There are a grand total of at least 15 courses within a 20-mile radius of Niagara Falls, three of which are on the American side. One of the most scenic courses is Oak Hall Golf Club. Like the rest of the courses in the area, it features dense forests, crisp greens and an incredible view of Niagara Falls from the seventh green. Other courses in the area provide a variety of pricing and difficulty that will challenge any golfer.
Niagara Botanical Gardens
The Niagara Botanical Gardens and Horticultural School sit on a plot of land 99 acres in size. Within its limits is the Niagara Parks Butterfly Conservatory which is a self-sustaining tropical greenhouse that houses more than 2,000 butterflies of 60 species. It is run by the Niagara parks commission and located about 5.6 miles north of the Falls. The botanical gardens promise a fulfilling outdoors experience due to its size, its close proximity to the other attractions of the city for those who want to experience nature and its fine dining within a short time.