Whirlpool State Park, Niagara, NY

I still have so much to write about my trip to Niagara Falls!

My dad and Kris looking out at Whirlpool State Park

After leaving the falls we decided to head to Whirlpool State Park (photos), which Kris had heard was a really great place to explore. Whirlpool State Park is a dangerously turbulent stretch of the Niagara River downstream from Niagara Falls. The massive gorge walls pinch the river, forcing huge amounts of water through a smaller space, which has created dangerous Class V whitewater, including 11 foot standing waves - the largest in North America. Also, because the rapids create oxygen rich water, this area has become the one of the premiere freshwater fishing locations in the country.

Me checking out the jet boats - the only thing interrupting the silence

As for why it is called Whirlpool State Park - well it really looks like a giant swirling whirlpool! The Niagara Whirlpool has125 feet deep swirling waters, which have resulted from the nearly 90 degree turn in the Niagara River's flow (see the map below). The sharp turn was created nearly 4,200 years ago when the erosion and recession of Niagara Falls (which is still happening today, although much more slowly due to human intervention) reached a soft spot in the landscape. As Niagara Falls retreated, it crossed paths with Saint David's Buried Gorge, a pre-glacial, debris-filled river valley, and abruptly began a rapid and violent erosion process, quickly cutting away the soft dirt and stone filling. Geologists estimate that this event took place very rapidly, from a few days to a couple of weeks.

Stairs to the upper/main level of Whirlpool State Park

I love geology!

We went on a hike down 300 feet to the river, then walked along the river for a little while before stopping for a break on a rock at the side of the river, where we watched the Whirlpool Jet Boat Tours whizz by with their screaming passengers. After our break we began the hike back up the gorge, which meant a lot of stairs! Climbing hundreds of stairs is not all that bad when you are surrounded by nature's beauty...

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