Coopey Falls, Horsetail waterfall in Columbia River Gorge, Oregon, United States.
Coopey Falls is a tiered waterfall in the Columbia River Gorge that drops through dark basalt formations, creating white water as it cascades down the rock face. Multiple levels of falling water create a dynamic visual display where the creek meets these layered stone formations.
The falls were named after Charles Coopey, a British-born tailor from Portland who owned extensive land in the area. He envisioned using the waterfall's power for textile manufacturing, though his industrial plans never fully developed.
The Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist maintain the grounds around the falls, integrating the natural feature into their religious community space.
The falls flow year-round but with varying intensity depending on rainfall and season. Multiple viewpoints along nearby trails allow visitors to see the cascade from different angles without difficult terrain.
In the 1920s, a small power generation system was built to extract energy from the falling water and create lighting at the site. This early experiment with hydropower is barely visible today but left its mark on the location's history.
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