otsego lake

We took a drive from the Cooper Inn for a short day hike and were overwhelmed with the beauty of the lake on a winter day. We were thrilled to see a red fox enjoying a tasty treat in the empty parking area.

Such a lovely place. If you can take a boat out you will love the view. It's just a great place to visit.

Just enough to do, and yet not over done so it's still a very quiet spot. Beautiful mix of Blue sky, tons of green trees and then the aqua blue lake. Just beautiful for a quiet relaxing getaway.

Otsego lake has the beautiful James Fenimore Cooper HomeFarmers Museum and Clark CenterVery historic and beautiful

Cooperstown is well known for the Baseball Hall of Fame, but what people don't realize is that Cooperstown sits on banks of the beautiful Otsego Lake. Sitting on the dock in the morning with a cup of coffee and watching the mist float over the surface is as relaxing as it gets. You might hear an occasional bird or the splash of a fish jumping but what you won't hear is boat traffic. Even on holiday weekends, the lake is yours for the taking. About 10 miles long and 1 mile wide, it offers a variety of recreational activities. Boating, swimming, skiing in the summer and ice skating, ice fishing and the Winter Carnival in the winter. Cruise by Kingfisher Tower (which I always told my kids was filled with marbles) on the way to the Glimmerglass State Park which has a beautiful beach. There are a few public swimming spots besides Glimmerglass including Fairy Springs which has an awesome view of Kingfisher Tower, the Otesaga Hotel and Lakefront area of Cooperstown Village. So, even if you are going to Cooperstown for a baseball week-end, don't forget to enjoy the other jewel of Cooperstown - Otsego Lake.

The lake is beautiful to visit in any season! Great place to picnic, take photos, watch July 4th fireworks, etc. Folks boat in the summer.

View from hotel is beautiful. Lake does glimmer like glass. We took a wonderful country drive all around the lake and visited the Museums. The Baseball Hall of Fame and Fenimore Art Museum were terrific, spent lots of time at both.

Beautiful lake in the fall! We wanted to go on the glimmerglass queen boat ride but it closes for the season Columbus day weekend :(

Just spent another week here in Cooperstown on the lake, and sat Thursday night on the landing at Council Rock and watched the birds and read for a few hours. Very tranquil..and Friday morning rode my bike completely around the lake from the Otesaga Hotel all the way around. Nineteen miles of solitude and perfect fall weather. Up at Glimmerglass Park the beach was breezy but nice for a lengthy stop and sit. Not much traffic this time of year, that's why we pick October. Just a great spot (speaking as a whole..you'll find "your" spot here) to stop and slow down!

A beautiful lake which shows different look, whether rainy or sunshine. It is really gorgeous and you can try strolling. It's very relaxed.

Parking in Cooperstown in a nightmare. Other than that, there is no better place to spend time as it has something for everyone. Be sure to check out the Empire State carousel at the Farmer's Museum. It is a work of art akin to the, well, Sistene Chapel! OK, maybe a SLIGHT overstatement. I went to the Cooper Museum for the first time this last trip and was very impressed. Saw an exhibit on Dorothea Lange, saw a Grandma Moses, some fun paintings of Lake Otsego. My sister said the Native American exhibit was top notch. Walk around Cooperstown and see the dam, the source of the Susquehannah. Yup, lots of shops for the retail-inclined. When the parental units were paying, we stayed at the Otesaga Hotel, which is still a turn of the century type resort. Formal attire for dinner. Very fun to have cocktails on the porch overlooking the lake. The water in Lake Otsego is as clean as you'd see in Caribbean -- just not turquoise. And at dawn, this magical haze rises from the lake -- the Glimmerglass. It is one of the most excruciatingly beautiful things I have ever witnessed. You really can't catch it on film. There are cottages and mansions. I wish I could live here forevere (but I bet the winters are hard core!). As recommended as I could ever recommend anything. One last thing, peak occurred the second weekend in October. The beauty of it -- it is a cliche -- took my breath away. It has to be seen.

We enjoyed our drive around the lake...beautiful in October! Would like to try a visit in the summertime.

Stunning lake, enjoyed a ride across the lake to a friends summer cottage. What a lovely place to visit

The mountains were beautiful in October. The leaves were just changing and the boat tour was excellent.

we stayed at Lake Front Motel located right on Otsego Lake. this area is known as Blackbird Bay.took the tour boat on lake and then drove completely around lake to enjoy the view. include a stop at Glimmerglass State Park when doing this.