NY 371 follows the Cohocton River and the main line of the B&H Rail Corporation for virtually its entire length.

Most of the route passes through rural areas located inside of a valley surrounding the river.

The route heads northeastward from NY 415 as a two-lane highway, leaving Cohocton's central business district for a more residential area of the small village.

After just one block, the homes give way to open, undeveloped areas as NY 371 crosses over the Cohocton River and exits the village limits.

Over the next 3.5 miles (5.6 km), the route closely parallels the river and the main line of the B&H Rail Corporation as it serves a series of farms and a small hamlet known as Kirkwood.