Horseshoe Falls, Waterfall at Niagara Falls, Canada and USA.

Horseshoe Falls is the largest of the three waterfalls forming Niagara Falls, curving in a wide arc between Terrapin Point on Goat Island, New York, and Table Rock in Ontario. It is 671 m wide and 53 m high, and its plunge basin is about 56 m deep, deeper than the falls are tall. About 90% of the Niagara River flows over it, raising a mist that often hides the cascade.

The basin formed roughly 12,000 years ago when the end of the last ice age released huge volumes of water from the Great Lakes, carving through the landscape. Over the centuries, erosion has slowly moved the waterfall upstream and shaped its current position.

The name refers to the curved shape of the water curtain, which resembles a horseshoe and stretches across the border between Canada and the United States. Visitors often experience the force of the water from the Canadian side, where viewing platforms offer a direct view of the plunging river.

Go in the early morning or late afternoon to find fewer crowds and better light for photographs, especially in summer. Wear waterproof clothing, as the spray from the gorge reaches even distant viewing points.

Most of the water is diverted at night through tunnels to generate electricity for the region, so the flow decreases noticeably after dark. This intervention has been practiced for decades and goes unnoticed by many visitors.