Exeter offers rural living close to Cooperstown and major parks
The town of Exeter offers rural living between the wild woodlands of Plainfield State Forest and the beaches of Canadarago Lake. “It’s a year-round opportunity with ice fishing, ice sports in the winter, and then boating and swimming in the summertime,” says Shelby MacLeish, assistant director of the Otsego County Conservation Association, which helps preserve the area’s many natural attractions. Exeter’s 1,000 residents live in vintage homes scattered along winding country roads, coming together for everyday needs in the hamlet of Schuyler Lake. Family farms offer local employment, and Exeter is also about 20 minutes from the jobs and amenities of Cooperstown.
Canadarago Lake and state forests offer year-round activities
Exeter State Forest runs into the area and preserves nearly 2,000 acres of woodlands for camping, seasonal hunting and snowmobiling. Though the park doesn’t have any marked trails, hikers and snowshoers can forge their own paths through a slice of Leatherstocking Country. Further west, the 1,400-acre Plainfield State Forest offers similar activities plus fishing at Chimney Pond. Canadarago Lake is one of the Cooperstown area’s main centers for outdoor activities. “They have a public beach called Baker’s Beach that has a lifeguard on it during the summertime and lots of outdoor activities,” MacLeish says. The Canadarago Boat Marine Park, just north of Exeter, includes a boat launch where anglers can head out in search of panfish, walleye and bass.
Exeter's homes embrace a lake and sit along country roads
Due to Exeter’s rural character, housing is sparse, with most homes clustering along state routes 51 and 28 and on the Canadarago Lake waterfront. Ranch-style properties mix with Cape Cods, lake houses with private docks and restored 19th-century country homes. Houses built from the 1860s to the 1990s have mostly sold for $140,000 to $280,000, while those built since 2000 sell for $240,000 to $340,000. Exeter’s median sale price of $175,000 is lower than other Cooperstown exurbs like Hartwick and Milford. Its CAP Index Crime Score of 1 out of 10 is also lower than the national average of 4.
Retail and dining are close by in Burlington Flats and Cooperstown
While rural Exeter has no shops or restaurants of its own, it’s close to Otsego County’s winery scene. Neighboring Burlington Flats is home to HoneyPot Farms Meadery, High Burl Brewery and Rustic Ridge Winery, which serve local flavors and host events with musical accompaniment. Nearby Cooperstown and Richfield Springs each have Price Chopper supermarkets.
Richfield Springs Junior-Senior High has a strong athletic record
Students can start at Richfield Springs Elementary School, which receives a B-minus rating from Niche, followed by C-plus-rated Richfield Springs Junior-Senior High School within the same building. The high school touts strong sports programs, including softball and basketball teams that have won Tri-Valley League championships.
State routes connect Exeter to nearby cities
Cooperstown and its Bassett Medical Center are a 12-mile drive down New York State Route 28. Other routes put Exeter 30 miles north of urban hub Oneonta and the same distance south of college town Utica.
![Jacob Adelhoch]()
Written By
Jacob Adelhoch
