Old crashed cars in Niagara Gorge? Anyone know anything? (Niagara Falls: fences, rail)

[tewksbdg]

In Niagara Falls, when you hike down by the Niagara River, downstream from the falls, between the Rainbow and Whirlpool Bridges, there are a few rusted out, smashed cars and what looks like old railings and concrete. The cars were clearly driven off the cliff (or fell in a collapse, perhaps). They look like an old 1960s Ford pickup and maybe a 1970s Cadillac?

So...what's the story? Anyone have any information? Has anyone else seen them?

[warm heatherette]

I've also hiked in this area (love it) and wondered about those old cars. My husband was absolutely fascinated by them, and tried an on-line search for some info but came up with nothing.

The only thing we could think of was the old tourist railway line that used to run along the gorge bottom. A portion of the gorge trail actually follows the rail path. Perhaps after the rails were removed and before the area became impassible, these old cars may have been driven down & abandoned.

I don't suppose it's possible that they actually went over the falls! They seemed nestled too far up the gorge wall for that, but who knows?

I must say that it captures the imagination much more to picture them being pushed or driven off the edge, hurtling through the abyss, bouncing end over end, to ultimately come to permanent rest on the gorge floor...for future generations to explore and wonder, how did they get here?

[tewksbdg]

I called the Niagara Discovery Center to ask about them, and they said that they thought that the cars were stolen and driven off the cliff (without the driver, I assume!) either for fun or to dispose of the evidence. But the guy I spoke to sounded really unsure - I think it was just speculation. I'll make a few more phone calls and see - I'm so curious about that, as well as that huge concrete bunker pump station, too.

It's really creepy down there, isn't it? I had just finished reading Cormac McCarthy's "The Road", a post-apocalyptic book, the day I went down there and I couldn't help but think how it looked like what I imagined the book to be.

[warm heatherette]

Creepy yes, but eerily beautiful too. I just love that the gorge trails take you away from the 'yuck' factors of Niagara Falls ON & NY. You can't see any of it from the bottom as you hike along parts of the river, and you can pretend you're in untouched wilderness (at least for a time), miles away from concrete jungles, tacky attractions and asian tourist crowds (no offence intended to the asian tourists, but you don't usually see them hiking the gorge trails - it seems to be a local thing)

I haven't read the book you mention, but I think I can imagine what you mean.

Have you seen the History Channel show "Life After People"? A Niagara Falls segment would be interesting.

As for the cars, it's hard to imagine them just driving over the edge. I walked along the top after we'd hiked out of the gorge. There's so many fences and trees and brush and park staff....and cops. How and where would they do it? I think you may be right about the speculation thing. Let us know what you find out.