Niagara Falls and its Parallels to the Adirondacks

Me with the American Falls behind (3/6/16)

As the Adirondacks allured the Romantics in the nineteenth century, Niagara Falls continues to entice sightseers from all over the world. Compared to the 7-10 million annual visitors to the Adirondack Park, Niagara Falls is visited by almost 28 million tourists every year. Last weekend, I joined the ranks of those who seek to appreciate those grandiose waterfalls and spontaneously traveled to see the iconic destination. During my visit, I made many parallels to the Adirondack Park and was forced to re-evaluate my stance on preservation and tourism.

Undoubtedly, Niagara Falls and the Adirondacks are popular tourist destinations, especially in the summer. As I walked around Niagara Falls State Park, it was obvious that the park catered to summer tourism over winter tourism. I passed many boarded-up ice cream stands and was denied access to the best walking paths closer to the falls. Unlike Adirondack winter tourism, which provides skiing, snowmobiling, etc., Niagara Falls completely lacks alternative activities to visiting the waterfalls themselves. I concluded that Niagara Falls State Park heavily invests and relies on summer tourists.

The American Falls at Niagara Falls (3/6/16)

Upon returning from my trip, I researched the Niagara Falls industry because I noticed that there was a large power plant right outside of Niagara Falls. I learned that beyond aesthetic value, Niagara Falls has been highly valued for its hydropower. Similar to trees in the Adirondacks, water provides an important natural resource for industry. In 1881, Jacob F. Schoellkopf built Niagara’s River’s first hydroelectric generating station and today American and Canadian power plants produce nearly 2.5 million kilowatts of electricity.

The development of the Niagara Falls area strongly reminded me of the exploitation of the Adirondack forest. It was clear that industrialization and tourism both threaten the natural surrounding of Niagara Falls. However, I felt conflicted about the preservation of and public access to the park. In my mind, I heard the voice of contemporary Adirondack guide, Brian McDonnell, “…people want little bites of wilderness. They want to be quickly immersed for a very short period of time and then get back to their real life”(Schneider 195). This fleeting appreciation of nature was notable at Niagara Falls. After I snapped a few pictures on my iPhone and posted it on Instagram, I felt incredibly guilty for not being completely present at the waterfalls.

My Instagram photo of the American Falls

            While I believe that people try to appreciate nature (for this is the reason so many tourists are still drawn to Niagara Falls), I think that tourism ironically takes away an authentic and genuine appreciation of nature. While walking away from the waterfalls, my friend said, “I kind of wished everything wasn’t so built up. It would have been cooler if you saw the falls after you had to hike or something.” Although I agreed with him, part of me was pessimistic and wanted to tell him that Niagara Falls was a spectacle that lost its wilderness essence a long time ago.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niagara_Falls#Preservation_efforts

http://www.niagarafallsstatepark.com/Formation-and-Discovery.aspx

Schneider, Paul. The Adirondacks: A History of America's First Wilderness. 1st ed. New York: H. Holt and Co, 1997. Print.