Together, the Black River Canal and the New York Central Railroad opened the door of opportunity to the Adirondacks region. This fertile mountainous area has an abundance of timber forests that have provided residents with work and steady income from the early nineteenth century until the present. Manufacturing of forest products and the vacation and recreation industry have been important factors in Lewis County's economic growth; however, agriculture has been the primary industry for over a century. Milk is the principle dairy product in Lewis County, which houses some of the finest milking herds in the country. Lewis County is also renowned for its fine cheese, cream cheese and maple syrup. Companies currently thriving in the area include Lyons Falls Pulp and Paper and Kraft Foods in Lowville.

Spanning over six million acres of land, the Adirondack region boasts over one hundred mountains standing at least 3,000 feet high. Mount Marcy and Algonquin Peak are both over 5,000 feet high. Half of this land has been designated as "forever wild" and will never be developed. Adirondack State Park attracts tourists year round who are looking for refuge from city life. In summer, the Adirondacks offer canoeing, fishing, ATV riding, white water rafting, golf, camping, ballooning, biking and mountain climbing. In winter, visitors enjoy skiing (cross county and downhill), snowboarding, snowmobiling, ice hockey, dogsledding, ice fishing, camping, ice climbing, ice-skating, snowshoeing and bobsledding.

A portion of Lyonsdale is located within Adirondack State Park. Each June, Lyonsdale's Moose River Music Park plays host to the Adirondack Music Festival. Other attractions in the area include the Adirondack International Speedway in New Bremen and Agers Falls. Agers Falls, located in Lyons Falls, is where white water rafting enthusiasts can take on the Lewis County River and kayakers shoot the falls.

Lyonsdale has easy access to the amenities of nearby cities such as Syracuse and Utica. Syracuse, approximately an hour away, offers fine cuisine and shopping such as is found in the Armory Square shopping district. Area entertainment includes the Rosamond Gifford Zoo, The Erie Canal Museum and the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra. Syracuse is also home to Syracuse University, Le Moyne College and the SUNY Upstate Medical University. Utica, which is 36 miles away, provides a number of cultural entertainment opportunities, clubs, unique shopping opportunities and a wide array of dining experiences. Utica College and SUNY Institute of Technology Utica/Rome are a small sampling of the excellent higher education opportunities in Utica. There are variety of higher learning facilities elsewhere in the Lewis County area, including SUNY Canton College of Technology, St. Lawrence University in Canton, Potsdam College, Clarkson University in Potsdam and SUNY Oswego.

Lyonsdale, New York, a haven of natural beauty, offers the serenity of a rural area with convenient access to nearby cities.