Abandoned Towns

Ghost town record · Niagara County, New York

Love Canal

Neighborhood in Niagara Falls, New York.

Record

About Love Canal

Love Canal was a neighborhood in Niagara Falls, New York, United States, infamous as the location of a 0.28 km2 (0.11 sq mi) landfill that became the site of an environmental disaster discovered in 1977. Decades of exposure to dumped toxic chemicals harmed the health of hundreds, often profoundly.

This is a site record: what public sources say about Love Canal, gathered in one place. We haven't written a full guide yet, so history, current access and photos are still to come. Treat the status as unknown until a guide confirms it.

Map

Where Love Canal is

USGS topographic map around Love Canal
USGS topographic map, The National Map (public domain). The pin marks the coordinates in the record; old townsites are often a little off.

Historic maps

14 historic USGS maps cover Love Canal

Topographic sheets from the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain), oldest first. Older sheets often show the camp, mines and roads while the place was alive. The downloads are large map scans; USGS topoView shows them in the browser.

Directions

Getting there

Google Maps directionsApple MapsOpenStreetMap

Before you go

  • Many ghost town sites are on private land, active mining claims or tribal land. Check land status and ask permission.
  • Roads to old townsites are often unmaintained dirt. Map apps may route over closed or impassable tracks.
  • Removing artifacts from public land is illegal under federal and most state laws.

Sources

Sources

  1. ghosttowns.com, "Love Canal": county, roads, climate, best time to visit, remains.
  2. Wikipedia, "Love Canal": coordinates and summary.
  3. Wikidata Q1872409.
  4. USGS GNIS 1802797.
  5. USGS 3D Elevation Program, elevation at the coordinates.
  6. USGS The National Map and Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain).