The Geography of New York State varies widely. While the state is best known for New York City's urban atmosphere, especiallyManhattan's skyscrapers, most of the state is dominated by farms, forests, rivers, mountains, and lakes. New York's Adirondack Parkis larger than any U.S. National Park in the contiguous United States.[1] Niagara Falls, on the Niagara River as it flows from Lake Erieto Lake Ontario, is a popular attraction. The Hudson River begins with Lake Tear of the Clouds and flows south through the eastern part of the state without draining lakes George or Champlain. Lake George empties at its north end into Lake Champlain, whose northern end extends into Canada, where it drains into the Richelieu River and then the St. Lawrence. Four of New York City's five boroughs are on the three islands at the mouth of the Hudson River: Manhattan Island, Staten Island, and Brooklyn and Queens onLong Island.
"Upstate" is a common term for New York counties north of