Mixing Family Vacation With Eco-Travel in Niagara Falls

The ideal family vacation is a healthy mix of affordable, fun, and informative, but few popular eco-travel destinations provide the affordable and appropriate accommodations and attractions for adults and kids alike — except Niagara Falls.

Once the Honeymoon Capital of the World, now one of the best international family vacation spots anywhere, Niagara Falls offers the fun, excitement, and education that children crave as well as the green opportunities (both environmental and financial) that help conscientious parents relax. If you have been searching high and low for the perfect family trip, you’ve found it in these green Niagara Falls options:

“Niagara Falls offers the fun,

excitement, and education that children

crave as well as the green opportunities

(both environmental and financial) that

help conscientious parents relax.”

Affordable Green Hotels

Family-friendly, affordable hotels in Niagara Falls aren’t difficult to find, but if you are looking specifically for hotels that adhere to sustainable principles, your options are slightly more limited. The hospitality industry boasts a surprisingly high carbon footprint, and even small measures to reduce energy and water consumption as well as waste production have considerable impacts.

Whenever you travel, you should look for hotels that make some or all of the following green commitments:

Smart or automated heating and cooling

LED, CFL, or other energy-efficient lights

Timer or motion-activated lighting systems

Energy Star or other energy-efficient appliances

Opt-in linen services

Biodegradable or organic cleaning solvents

Earth Hour or a similar low energy use period

Because of the cost savings associated with being clean and green, many hotels are interested in adopting more sustainable practices — but that doesn’t mean every hotel has taken definite steps toward eco-friendliness. In Niagara Falls, the best family-friendly, affordable, green hotel is Sheraton on the Falls, but you can also find environmentally friendly accommodations in Marriott on the Falls, DoubleTree Fallsview Resort, and Howard Johnson Hotel by the Falls.

Environmental Initiatives

If your family are the type of eco-travelers to engage in conservation initiatives when you travel, you will find plenty to do in Niagara Falls. Here are just a few of the ongoing environmental projects you can participate in during your vacation:

Project Green Initiatives

Niagara Parks strive to keep their natural spaces clean and green through conservation, restoration, preservation, education, and management. Volunteers for Project Green Initiatives help the Parks Commission clean up litter and waste in spaces around the city and countryside, install new greenery, and generally keep the parks healthy. There are dozens of events scheduled throughout the year; you can contact Niagara Parks to learn about opportunities to contribute during your trip.

Water Quality Improvement Buffer Project

Water is essential to any ecosystem, but it is especially vital to the health and prosperity of Niagara Falls. To prevent excess erosion, maintain stable flora and fauna, and ensure the area looks beautiful, volunteers for the Water Quality Improvement Buffer Project plant and manage vegetation along the Niagara River, attract favorable birds and insects, and deter Canadian Geese, which are detrimental to Niagara Falls’ water quality.

Spare the Air Emissions Reduction Program

Niagara Falls, like most other urban centers, suffers from air pollution, which can inhibit the growth and purity of the natural environment. The city’s current emissions reduction program targets motor coach and truck drivers operating along the entire length of the Niagara River. Through public awareness activities — which volunteers can organize and assist with — the program hopes to decrease hazardous air emissions from idling vehicles.

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Eco-Friendly Activities

A vacation shouldn’t be all work, especially if you have kids in tow. Fortunately, there are fun ways to enjoy and interact with the natural Niagara environment without producing harm. Here are a few ideas to keep your kids entertained and engaged on your Niagara Falls eco-trip:

Cycling tours. Instead of taking a bus to visit Niagara’s top locations, you can rent a bike. There are a variety of cycling tours available, some of which stick to the Niagara Falls tourist area and some which range as far as Niagara Wine Country.
Hiking. There are dozens of trails crisscrossing Niagara Falls, leading to new and exciting views of the river, falls, and valley. You can take a day hike on the Bruce Trail, Canada’s oldest and longest track, or you can explore Devil’s Hole State Park — home to the Whirlpool Rapids and other exciting sights.
Botanical Gardens. Niagara Parks maintains an amazing array of outdoor spaces, but the Botanical Gardens is perhaps the most whimsical. Here, horticulturists have created a wonderland of plant life, including a working clock made entirely of flowers and greenery.