Mountain springs and winter snows feed rivers that have powered the many industries that grew up in the Hudson Valley. Waterways and highways continue to bring people into the region to live, work and play. There are over 200 lakes in the Adirondacks. From New York City through the Hudson River Valley, to the Champlain Canal and the St. Lawrence River, north-south water and land routes played an important role in the development of the region. From the earliest days of settlement to the present, logging, paper and other kinds of manufacturing have been a mainstay of the area's economy, which is also fueled by a vigorous tourist industry, and a growing number of financial, service-oriented, retail and other businesses.
Agriculture is another important industry.
The Adirondack Mountains spread out into rolling countryside where cattle from some of the state's finest dairy farms graze. The rich soil of the Hudson and Champlain Valleys nourishes apple orchards, fields of produce, and forests of sugar maples. Glens Falls, the region's only city, is a major center of commerce and industry. Scattered throughout the region are tiny hamlets, villages and towns that provide all else necessary to make this an ideal place to live and work.