At the posted coordinates you will be under a canopy overlooking the Aero Car with a great view of the whirlpool.
To claim the Virtual it is not necessary to ride in the Aero Car, the ride across is NOT wheelchair friendly and is open from mid April to fall from 10 AM to 5 PM. The parking (free) and Virtual are available year round. If you take the cable car ride it will actually take you across the international border between Canada and the United States. No passport required!
Designed by famed Spanish engineer, Leonardo Torres Quevedo, the Whirlpool Aero Car has been soaring the Niagara Gorge since 1916. Construction on the aero car began in 1915 and progressed rapidly. Significant excavation was needed on both sides of the gorge in order to house the machinery chambers, a design choice that was made to avoid interfering with views of the river from the surrounding area.
The carriage itself was built overseas and shipped to the site where it was installed onto a cable spanning over 500 meters across the swirling waters of the river below. This kind of mechanism represented a new type of aerial cable method. To this day it remains the only one of its kind in existence.
In the winter of 2023, the Whirlpool Aero Car was removed from its tracks and sent to Saint-Jérôme, Québec, to undergo refurbishments.
The Niagara Whirlpool is formed at the end of the rapids where the gorge abruptly turns counterclockwise. The river’s abrupt change of direction creates one of the world’s most mesmerizing natural phenomena. View the swirling Niagara Whirlpool and the river’s Class 6 rapids as you soar 3,500 feet across the Niagara Gorge.
To claim credit for this Virtual please do the following:
1. With your log upload a photo of yourself (you don't have to show your face) or a personalized item with the Aero Car cables crossing the river in the background.
2. Mention the time of your visit and the direction the whirlpool is flowing? (Clockwise or counter clockwise)
3. How many cables suspend the cable car?
4. What is the distance from the Aero Car to the Rapids below?
Enjoy your visit.
Photo & information courtesy of the Niagara Parks
Virtual Rewards 4.0 - 2024-2025
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between January 17, 2024 and January 17, 2025. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 4.0 on the Geocaching Blog.