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Terrapin Point

Niagara Falls, Canada

Terrapin Point

Terrapin Point (formerly Terrapin Rocks) is an observation area located in Niagara Falls, New York at the western tip of Goat Island, next to the Canadian Horseshoe Falls. It is one of two major observation areas overlooking the falls and lower Niagara Gorge on the New York side, the other being Pro

spect Point further downriver. Before the second half of the 20th century Terrapin Point was a group of rocks on the brink of the falls, disconnected from Goat Island. They were known as the Terrapin Rocks because they resembled giant tortoises. In 1827 the then owners of the land on the American side, brothers Peter and Augustes Porter, built a 300-foot wooden bridge from Goat Island to just off the edge of the falls. In 1833 they added a lighthouse-like building, Terrapin Tower. Its height is estimated at 30 to 45 feet, its diameter at 12 feet. A spiral staircase inside allowed visitors to reach a viewing platform. The tower quickly attracted many visitors, and some critics said that it disturbed the beauty of the waterfalls. In 1873 the Porter brothers blew up the tower. The bridge can be seen in photos from 1934; by 1954 it had also disappeared. During the dredging of the upper Niagara...

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