Goat Island Loop

The Goat Island Loop circumnavigates the largest island dividing the American and Horseshoe Falls, providing unobstructed views of all three Niagara cataracts from a single accessible route. Goat Island sits at the very brink of the falls, and walking the shoreline trail brings visitors within feet of the massive volume of water sliding over the edge into the gorge below. The upstream end of the island provides a sweeping panorama of the Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side, where ninety percent of the Niagara River flow plunges 167 feet in a thunderous horseshoe-shaped curtain. The downstream rim offers views of both the American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls in their full vertical drama. The loop connects to the Three Sisters Islands and to the Cave of the Winds elevator, making it an ideal hub for exploring the full park. Frederick Law Olmsted, who designed Central Park, also helped plan the landscape of Niagara Falls State Park and his influence is visible in the naturalistic plantings and thoughtful viewpoint placement throughout Goat Island. The flat paved surface accommodates strollers and wheelchairs, and benches placed at key overlooks allow unhurried contemplation of one of the great natural spectacles of North America.