Niagara Gorge


Niagara Gorge is an gorge carved by the Niagara River along the Canada–United States border, between the U.S. state of New York and the Canadian province of Ontario. It begins at the base of Niagara Falls and ends at the Niagara Escarpment near Queenston, Ontario, where the Falls originated about 12,500 years ago. The Falls have receded upstream toward Lake Erie by slow erosion of hard Lockport dolomite, combined with rapid erosion of the relatively soft layers beneath it.
The force of the river current in the gorge is one of the most powerful in the world; because of the dangers this presents, kayaking the gorge has generally been prohibited. On multiple occasions, the rapids of the gorge have claimed the lives of people attempting to run them. However, on isolated occasions, world-class experts have been permitted to navigate the stretch.
Tourists can bounce and splash through the rapids of the Niagara Gorge on commercial tours in rugged jetboats, which are based at Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, at Lewiston, New York, at Youngstown, New York, and in midsummer at Niagara Glen Nature Center on the Niagara Parkway in Ontario.

In popular culture

The 1980 movie Superman II includes a scene in the gorge, where Lois Lane tries to force Clark Kent to reveal that he is Superman by "accidentally" falling in the river so he will have to save her.