Bike trails and pleasant back roads give bicyclists a unique opportunity to explore beyond the famed Niagara Falls. For the best views of the Niagara River, above and below the falls, ride the river trail on the Canadian side. The trail runs approximately 35 miles (55 kilometers) from the beginning of the Niagara River at Lake Erie to the mouth at Lake Ontario. Along the way you will see this powerful river as it flows to Niagara Falls, over it and into the deep channel downstream. It swirls through the Whirlpool, between hydro electric dams and through a deep cut. Check out the prehistoric site of the falls downstream from the hydro power stations, then watch the river open up into a placid pool filled with sailboats. You will get views from the bike trail that aren’t available to motorists.

For a different experience, follow the bike trail along the Welland Canals. The Welland Canals are the bypass that lake freighters take around the Niagara River as they travel between lakes Erie and Ontario. Eight locks in the canals lift or lower ships as they move between the lakes. Lock 7, near Thorold, Ontario, is the deepest as it lifts ships over the Niagara Escarpment.

St. Catherine’s Museum and Welland Canals Centre is at Lock 3. Port Colborne on the Lake Erie end of the canal is a charming village and at the far northern end of the canal you can follow a bike path along the breakwater jutting into Lake Ontario. Thetrail is approximately 26 miles (42 km) in length.

If you time your visit for early fall, explore back roads and vineyards between the Welland Canals and the Niagara River. Sample routes are available on the mobile Niagara Falls Bike Trails map.

I rode to Niagara Falls in the fall of 2015 and picked up the trail in the fall of 2016 to ride to Yorktown, Virginia. You can read the Niagara Falls Narrative for a first hand account of riding the area.portion of the two trips.

Explore More Niagara Falls: Free supplement adds location specific information directly to the Niagara Falls Bike Map. Shows campgrounds, restaurants, lodging and more.