Look Past Niagara Falls (Literally) to Dufferin Islands! A Hidden Gem in Niagara Beyond the Tourist Buzz
Nature trails through beautiful scenic islands connected by wooden bridges means chasing birds, not crowds.
Have you ever wondered what is past the Falls? It’s a question that came to mind the last time we were stood gazing across the impressive waterfall.
Standing looking at the Horseshoe Falls, to the left are the hotels, Clifton Hill, Aerocars, etc. But to the right, is it just the Power Station? After doing a quick look at the map, it turns out a hidden gem is sitting there. Sometimes when you look at something for so long (like the Falls themselves) you can tend to miss things that can be right in front of you. Dufferin Islands was definitely hiding in plain sight, and we couldn’t be happier to have found this hidden gem in Niagara for future trips with the family (including the dog).
(Watch our YouTube video recap at the bottom!)
What is Dufferin Islands? A True Hidden Gem in Niagara!
Dufferin Islands is a small park just past the Canadian Horseshoe Falls and the Power Station in Niagara Falls. It is a series of small islands that are connected by bridges, and offers a scenic walk through beautiful water views and plenty of wildlife. Bird spotters especially! You’d never really know that it was there, as even pulling in to the parking lot, there are no signs even hinting that you have arrived at the right destination.
So.. Where is Dufferin Islands then? Niagara River Parkway is the road that lets you wave at the American and Canadian Falls, and winds all along the super cool Niagara River waters. Follow this past the Horseshoe Falls, past the Power Station, and past the Floral Showcase. The next drive on your right after these is the entrance, on a road called Dufferin Isle Rd.
How Much Did Dufferin Islands Cost?
Admission to Dufferin Islands itself is totally FREE! Parking, however, is not. Niagara Parks when we went were charging $8 an hour at this lot, payable at parking lot machines. The local WeGo bus stop is at the nearby Floral Showcase, if you are paying for this hop-on, hop-off service already. ($13 a day: https://www.niagaraparks.com/getting-around/wego-niagara-falls-bus/)
SAVE WITH SAM TIP: Niagara Parks has an annual $50 parking pass that gives unlimited free parking at 17 lots across the Niagara Parkway (from Fort Erie up to Niagara-on-the-lake). The physical pass takes weeks to arrive, so order well in advance of your trip: https://www.niagaraparks.com/visit-niagara-parks/plan-your-visit/parking-pass/
What Did We LOVE?
Finding things that are age-appropriate for our 3 year old and 1 year old can be tough. The 3 year old is ready to explore, in fact every day he asks if we should go on an adventure (often he likes to ‘adventure’ to the grocery store). But our 1 year old is not quite ready for many attractions out there, so it can be hard to find a balance where both can enjoy themselves equally. Throw into the mix taking our wonderful whippet with us, and family outings as a team of 5 can be challenging.
But Dufferin Islands checks all of our boxes.
1. Leashed Pets are Welcome! #DogFriendly
Dufferin Islands is very pet friendly, so we can bring our dog along! The fact that dogs need to be on leashes at all times is actually a plus for us. Our hound will provide death by licking to every one and every thing, and hasn’t quite learned that not everyone welcomes this (we’re working on his doggy manners!)
You never know with other people’s pets what temperaments are, or how they will react in a new environment or with kids, so leash-free areas are not places that we personally prefer to go. We passed a few leashed pets on our walk at Dufferin Islands, and had no problems.
2. Roaming and Rock-Hunting
The islands themselves have good sized walkways, so for our teetering kiddos there is enough space on the paths that we can let them toddle around under supervision. Our 1 year old is at the stage where only he knows best and he can of course do everything on his own, so allowing him roaming privileges is a big plus for him.
Then, our 3 year old is a rock expert, and no stone is left unturned (literally). This walk offers the perfect blend of allowing him to find big rocks, but isn’t covered in them to the point where he immediately attempts to fill every pocket with treasures.
3. Water? Wildlife? Check-Check!
To kids, water is water. My kids are no more impressed by Niagara Falls than they are by the faucet in the bath tub. In fact, they probably prefer the faucet. But the beauty of Dufferin Islands in our opinion outweighs even the Falls themselves. It really is like a little paradise, so for us it does wonders for our mental health.
The islands are also home to a number of bird species, and so depending on the time of year that you go, it’s like having your own personal Bird Kingdom. And of course the boys love seeing animals along the way, so this was great (we spied turtles, geese, ducks, and squirrels this trip).
4. Parking, Washrooms, and BBQ Grills… Oh My!
Because Dufferin Islands seems to be Niagara’s best kept secret, there were no shortages of parking spots. Drive along Dufferin Isle Rd and find a multitude of spots to park. There are even bicycle repair zones along the way with pumps and gadgets for those who love to cycle instead.
Free public washrooms (that aren’t a porta-potty!) are a super bonus too. Open 7am-7pm, the ones we found had personal change stalls as well as bathroom stalls. Down along the road is a nice cutout section with picnic tables and little BBQ grills. We chose to bring our own chairs and packed lunch, and enjoyed making our own spot with a view.
Things To Consider
Depending on how long you want to stay, at $8 an hour for parking it could be quite costly. You may be tempted to park at Dufferin Islands and walk to the Falls, which would no doubt be a beautiful walk. However, Google will tell you that is a 25 minute walk (one way), and when you have two little ones that demand to walk and not be carried, 25 minutes would be a pipe dream. If you’d like to walk the islands and then still get to hit the main tourist areas (Clifton Hill says it’s a 45 min walk), you may find cheaper parking elsewhere (OR, benefit hugely from the $50 Annual Parking Pass mentioned above!)
We found a perfect picnic spot, nestled under a tree and down by the water. It was a serene spot and it felt like we were on a set for a spectacular photoshoot. It was easy since we were the only car in the parking lot. We weren’t short of spots to choose, but at peak times if there were a lot of Islanders that day, then you may find a personal picnic spot a tad tricky to get.
The walkways were a fine size, but you do need to keep a close eye on little ones. As we all know, blink and they’re gone! With water on each side at times it’s not somewhere to let them get too far away.
For those with dogs, although there is sign posted that dogs must be on leashes, that doesn’t always stop some entitled people. Be aware of this if you have a pet that is anxious or not keen on unwelcome introductions.
While there are washrooms available, neither men’s or women’s had diaper change tables, so you may want to be aware that you may be more comfortable changing children in the trunk of a car or picnic blanket on the grass. There was not much room to manoeuvre in the cubicles.
The name might make it sound like a big expanse with lots to explore. I mean, island after island connected with footbridges? But it really is not that big. You can do Dufferin Islands comfortably in 1 to 2 hours, so we would suggest you don’t plan for a full day event. This could be a great place after a long, fast-paced day to just slow down and recharge in nature – and away from the populated tourist areas that surround it.
Overall Experience?
A beautiful hidden gem in Niagara for families, away from the crowds
From the moment we stepped out of the car and looked around we were happy to be there. The kids loved trekking around the woodlands, and there is something about kids and bridges over water that just make them happy. The boys could have stood on those bridges all day, throwing rocks or playing Pooh sticks (a game from the Winnie the Pooh books if you are not familiar, which is essentially stick racing in water).
The dog had a blast taking in the sights and sniffs, and trying to work out which of the many birds would become his new best friend. If you’ve had a long journey then this is a perfect spot to let the kids get out some energy through exploring, or as mentioned earlier even just using it to have a slower moment in the midst of the Clifton Hill chaos.
We hope you enjoy Dufferin Islands! We certainly are confident that your kids and pets will!
Watch Our YouTube Video Recap:
You may like to see our other hidden gem in Niagara Falls too, this one is COMPLETELY FREE!
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