Devil's Hole to Whirlpool: 4 Hour Niagara River Trek

There is free parking at Devil's Hole park (no oversized RV parking). We will meet at the restroom building at the north end of the park. Devil's Hole Park offers views of the Niagara River, New York Power Authority Dam and Lewiston/Queston Bridge to Canada. We will have a brief overview of the tour and a hiking safety discussion. We will begin the hike by descending 400+ stone steps into the Niagara River Gorge. From there will head south on the path towards Devils Hole.

The hiking path is wide and flat at first and can get muddy if we had recent rain. The trail begins to narrow and gets rocky and slopes into the gorge. Your duide will give you tips of how to safely navigate this part of the trail. We will reach Devils Hole and discuss historical significance of the area.

We will contune hiking toward the Whirlpool and learn about the old Niagara River Gorge Railway. We will navigate through some large rocks, tree roots and see rock slides all while having views the the Niagara River. As we get closer to the Whilpool you'll see and hear the roar of the Class 5 rapids. We will stop at key spots of some photos and water breaks. stops for photos of the swirling aqua blue water.

We will reach Butterfly Rock Landing at the Whirlpool. Enjoy some free time for independent exploration and to experience the powerful twists and churs of the rapids. You can also just sit and relax, enjoy blu-green aqua river water, watch and wave to the jet boats or the Aero Car above you. Your guide will be happy to use your phone or camera to take photos of your group.

We will head back 1/2 mile to the Whirlpool stone staircase and hike 400+ step stone to the rim of the gorge. This is the most challenging part of the hike, but we will stop as many times as needed to rest and take water breaks.

When the entire group reaches to the top of the stairs, we will hike 1/2 mile along the upper rim of the gorge to the Whirlpool overlook. There you will be able to see the Buttlerfly rock below and the areas we explored.

Our last stop will be for a bathroom break at the small Whirlpool park visitors center. From there there will be two options to return to the Devil's Hole Parking lot starting point: Option 1: Your guide will wait with the group and take the free shuttle bus back to our starting point at Devils hole. This will save you time and enegry, especailly for people who are tired or looking to save time. Option 2: You will hike along the upper rim gorge trail back to Devil's Hole parking lot one your own without the guide. This one mile hike is on a wide dirt path and will add 30-45 minutes to the tour.