Queen Victoria Park is the parkway running along the Canadian bank immediately above the Horseshoe Falls, maintained by the Niagara Parks Commission. It is free to enter and provides the best unobstructed views of both the Horseshoe Falls and the American Falls from the closest practical distance. Table Rock, at the end of the park closest to the falls, puts you within metres of the crest.
The park is beautifully maintained, with flower gardens and mature trees, and is considerably more pleasant than the Clifton Hill strip behind it. In summer it is crowded; in winter it is nearly empty, the railings encrusted with ice from the spray, and the falls partially frozen — a genuinely extraordinary scene. The evening illuminations are visible from the park and are free. This is the place to stand and actually look at the falls without paying anything.