I thought the grand canyon had a bunch of water.
I didn’t vote, because I’ve been to the Grand Canyon. But I’d always wanted to see it and never had any interest in Niagara Falls. I’m sure the Falls are nice and everything, but with the Canyon you also have the majesty of the Southwest. Plus you can also go down and explore the Canyon, and I mean outside of a barrel.
Let’s put it this way. There are a lot of great waterfalls around the world. Niagara Falls does not even compare with what I’ve seen at Yosemite. However, the Grand Canyon is considered one of the Natural Wonders of the World. The first time I laid eyes on the Grand Canyon I just stood there awestruck at the most amazing sight I’ve ever seen. It’s more than just a big hole. There’s quite a bit to do in the area.
I can appreciate the beauty of a water fall, but I can only look at it for so long before it’s like, “OK, I’ve seen enough. Let’s go.” Plus, beyond the waterfall, is there anything else really amazing about Niagara? Cool vegetation or geology? I don’t know.
But the Grand Canyon? Not only is it in an ecotone I’ve never been to before, but the sheer scale of it would blow my mind. You can spend days, weeks in the Grand Canyon and see continually see new things.
Haven’t been to either one. Flew over the GC one time, very impressive. Even from 30,000 ft. I vote the Big Hole.
Grand Canyon without question, but I’ve been to both. Niagara is something to see for a day, and it’s impressive, but the Grand Canyon is somewhere you spend weeks exploring and still be left wanting more.
Have been to both. Both are impressive. Prefer GC due to its many more facets and areas to explore, & its great opportunities for hiking and solitary forays into the wilderness.
Never had a wet dream :eek: but have a big Hole now yes please:D
I’ve been to both, but as someone interested in photography, would much rather go the the Grand Canyon. There are limitless opportunities with the light there.
Visited both exactly one time each and I’d go back to NF but not the GC. The desert and big sky country are not for me. Too much brown and tan and I like a canopy over my head or, at least, a horizon I can reach out and touch.
I like the mist in the air around NF and Lake Ontario is lovely to look at from Old Fort Niagara.
I picked Niagara Falls because I haven’t been there yet.
Grand Canyon - Niagara looks nice and all, but geology wins out…
I live about an hour from Niagara Falls and visit the Niagara area often. The thing that draws me back isn’t the falls itself but the casino and the Ontario wineries. Niagara on the Lake is a short drive away and the wine is awesome (granted, you will need a passport to get there if you are from the us).
I have visited both, and there’s a lot more to see and do in the Canyon. I spent 5 days there and didn’t see everything. Niagara took one day.
OMG is that ever sad. I went to the Canyon as a kid and there was nothing, absolutely nothing to do there other than explore the canyon–which, since our family foolishly decided to go in mid-summer, was not an easy undertaking. At one point my dad packed us all up to go to an “interpretive center”…it was closed, but somehow the gift shop was open. Most of the days we sat around the hotel trying to cool off enough to stare at the canyon for another hour or so. For years our family used to call a fruitless or boring undertaking “going to the Grand Canyon.”
Now, I work near Niagara Falls, and…I can almost hear ya. Yes, there’s more to do, but the NF is a city. There’s supposed to be more to do. Instead it’s as if the tourist area got hit by a neutron bomb. The first thing you see after going over the Rainbow Bridge is a big empty mall. Drive straight too far and you drive right into the worst area in the city, one of the worst areas in any city I’ve lived in. Turn left and you go into a decidedly non-touristy area of gas stations and offices. Turn right and you get lost in a confusing maze of back streets and traffic circles. Sure, you can go to the casino, but you can lose your money just as fast at the Canadian casinos, and there’s a sports book of sorts and a real tourist area with real restaurants and everything. NF, NY has the Indian restaurant, the other Indian restaurant, and the four other Indian restaurants. Great if you love Indian food, but not much variety.
Sad thing is, there is great stuff to do in Niagara Falls, NY, but it’s just hidden in the poorly-marked Pine Avenue Business Area. There’s an incredible Italian restaurant, some cool shops, great bars with authentic wings. But it’s nowhere near the tourist area and you’ll only see locals there. The actual tourist area is full of confused travelers looking for something to do before they head back to Canada.
GC for me…especially if it’s any season other than summer.
You can raft in the GC. NF, not so much.
I have to say the same thing… but not in the way you intended. I find it interesting that the exact reasons that some people say that NF is better… Laser shows, fireworks, casinos is exactly why I feel the opposite. I’ve been to both, I’ve enjoyed them both. My kids went with their Aunt to NF a year or so ago and had a room overlooking the fireworks etc and absolutely loved it.
But if you are asking about which of these natural wonders I’d rather spend time at… the Grand Canyon wins hands down. Nothing to do… have you sat outside and looked at the stars at night? Have you hiked and stopped and marveled at the thousands of amazing things that nature has to offer? No steak at a casino tastes better than the one at the base of the canyon cooked over the fire after a long trek down. I will “ooh and aah” far more at a sunset over the canyon than any fireworks show I will ever see.
Again, I enjoy the falls but I would far rather hike to a remote area around the Blue Ridge Parkway and see a more spectacular falls (maybe not in water volume) than to park half a block away and pay $0.75 to use the binoculars mounted at the viewing station.
Different strokes though.
Didn’t vote, since I’ve been to the Grand Canyon, but this is absofuckinglutely the truth.
Don’t know how the South Rim is, but on the North Rim, you look out at the Canyon from some spot, and it’s amazing. Then you move ten yards along the rim, and it’s amazing in a bunch of new ways. AFAICT, one could repeat that thousands of times and it wouldn’t get any less true.
And that’s without even going down into the Canyon.
It’s hard for me to imagine that any waterfall, no matter how beautiful, can match that.
Ditto. The scope is just…orders of magnitude higher.
I’ll join the others who posted and have been to both. NF was better than I thought it was going to be but I likely won’t be going back. The jet boat ride was fun and standing mere feet from the falling water was pretty cool. Seeing that amount of water falling or roaring though the narrow whitewater walk area is impressive. That said, rafting the GC for a week was beyond impressive. I’d do it again in a heartbeat if it weren’t for the cost. The magnitude of the whole thing is hard to describe. If you can get past the idea of peeing in the river and pooping in a communal bucket (carefully hidden behind bushes) for a week you be rewarded with the trip of a lifetime.