Historically, North River was one of the centers of the New York State garnet industry. The last remaining garnet mine in New York is located in North River. The hardest garnets in the world come from the Adirondacks and are still in demand, especially for industrial use. There is also a former garnet mine, the Hooper Mine, that is a tourist site.
A local attraction is Gore Mountain, one of the tallest in New York and a skiing center.