NY 79 begins at an intersection with NY 414 just north of the Watkins Glen village limits in the Schuyler County town of Hector. The route heads north, climbing the side of the large bluff along the eastern edge of Seneca Lake. At the top of the hill, NY 79 enters the village of Burdett as Main Street. As it passes through the village, NY 79 turns eastward as Lake Avenue. East of Burdett, the route passes through the hamlet of Bennettsburg prior to intersecting NY 227. While NY 227 heads north to serve Reynoldsville, NY 79 continues east to Mecklenburg, the site of its junction with NY 228.