Falling for the power and glory of Niagara: This wonder of the world is a 'stupendous' sight, so don't let it slip off your bucket list

Why is one of the great natural wonders of the world seldom mentioned on our bucket lists? (Or maybe that should be barrel list, given the number of foolhardy folk who’ve chosen that way of seeing the Niagara Falls up close?).

Some facts: Niagara Falls is on the border between New York State in the U.S. and the southern part of Ontario in Canada.

There are two towns — a Canadian Niagara Falls and an American one — and three waterfalls at right angles to one another: the giant Horseshoe Falls and the smaller (but still mighty) American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls.

We check into the Giacomo Hotel at dusk and wander over to the Rainbow Bridge that joins Canada and the U.S. And there, in the twilight, is Niagara Falls — bigger, louder and more stupendous than I’d ever imagined.

The Giacomo is an elegant 1929 skyscraper that dominates the U.S. town of Niagara Falls. From our 13th-floor room, I can see the falls illuminated, clouds of spray hanging over the Horseshoe.

Water world: Mark Jones discovers the joys of Niagara Falls

In the morning, we cross the bridge into the Niagara Falls State Park. When the park was created in 1885, the Falls were a mess, dominated by industry and cheap lodging. 

The park became a buffer zone between the town and the Falls, a place where you still can walk in peace. Not that you’d call the sound of 5.9 million cubic feet of water a minute descending a vertical 160 ft drop exactly peaceful.

We take the Cave of the Winds walk by the edge of the American Falls. The cave is long gone: it’s actually a metal mesh walkway which skirts the torrent. As we reach the edge of the Falls, it’s like being hit by a Force 10 gale at sea as the spray lashes our ponchos and soaks our socks. (Tip: bring your Crocs and a waterproof case for your phone.) Then we emerge into calm and sunshine. It’s an exhilarating encounter.

Mark was able to see the Falls from his hotel room at Giacomo (pictured), an 'elegant' 1929 skyscraper that dominates the U.S. town of Niagara Falls

Above, tourists admire the waterfalls from Niagara Falls State Park 

'There are people who say Niagara County is only worth a two-hour visit on the way to somewhere else — but I beg to differ,' declares Mark

So it’s a shock to learn that the power is not entirely natural, as we discover when we visit the Niagara Power Vista, a power station downstream from the Falls. In 1956, the old Schoellkopf power plant broke apart and collapsed into the gorge. Then, under Robert Moses, the notorious ‘master builder’ who almost turned New York City into one big motorway, they created the new plant in just three years. It’d take that long to get a permit for a shed these days.

We learn that the flow of water is controlled. If the power station got all the power it wanted, the Falls would be no more than a trickle. So they reduce the flow overnight. In essence, Niagara Falls is the biggest tap on the planet.

Later, we take the celebrated Maid Of The Mist boat, which gets as close to the Horseshoe as it dares. It’s like being in a giant open-air carwash. Then, best of all, we board a helicopter for an unforgettable 15 minutes swooping above the Falls, which look even more stupendous from above.

Mark says Old Fort Niagara (seen here) in Niagara County offers 'epic views and a fascinating history'

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Less magnificent is the area surrounding the U.S. Niagara. The decline of heavy industry was followed by an environmental disaster where chemicals were dumped in the Love Canal, a failed attempt to take the waters inland.

But there are signs of regeneration. The city centre, long dominated by empty lots and casino hotels, now has food trucks and outdoor concerts. In Third Street, there’s a row of bars and cafes. We had a jolly time at The Craft, the nearest thing Niagara has to a neighbourhood local.

Best of all, the huge Hotel Niagara, once frequented by Marilyn Monroe when she filmed the 1953 movie Niagara but deserted for 20 years, is due to get a $50 million refurb.

Mark recommends visiting Lewiston (pictured), a 'gorgeous riverside village of clapboard houses, antiques shops and gastropubs' 

There are people who say Niagara County is only worth a two-hour visit on the way to somewhere else — but I beg to differ. Visit Lockport to see the five huge locks which make the Grand Union Canal look like a toy. It’s also the birthplace of the novelist Joyce Carol Oates, whose novel The Falls captures the atmosphere of its 1950s heyday.

The impressive Old Fort Niagara at the northern point, where the river empties into Lake Ontario, has epic views — you can see Toronto 32 miles in the distance — and a fascinating history: built by the French, taken over by the British, and a flashpoint in the 1812 war when the Americans tried to move into Canada.

Consider staying a couple of nights in Lewiston, a gorgeous riverside village of clapboard houses, antiques shops and gastropubs. But you’ll be drawn back to the Falls, an awe-inspiring work of nature’s engineering — and you’ll wonder how it ever slipped off your list.