June 2026
Ghost towns are “a once flourishing town wholly or nearly deserted usually as a result of the exhaustion of some natural resource,” as defined by Webster’s Dictionary. Cooper’s Falls is one of the many former villages in the Muskoka Region of southern Ontario that faded away after the logging industry declined.
Along a winding country road, east of Highway 11, lies the remains of a once bustling logging town named after Thomas Cooper. It was Cooper and his wife Emma who arrived in the area in 1864, taking possession of their land grant. A saw mill was built, powered by the Black River. Copper built a house and by 1876, was operating the general store in the village. A post office was added in April 1878, with Cooper serving as postmaster until March 1905. Across the street from the general store was the town hall, known locally as the courthouse.
Two churches were built, the Anglican church built around 1884 and the Methodist church in 1894, along with graveyards for each. By this time, Cooper’s Falls was a booming town, but like a lot of pioneer villages across Canada, the good times wouldn’t last.
By 1921 William Cooper, son of Thomas, had converted the saw mill to steam power but just four years later, William was killed in an accident at the mill. The family closed the mill in the aftermath, given that the lumber supply had been depleted, leading to the decline of the village and the exodus of many residents to more prosperous areas.
By 1968, the general store and the post office, both still operated by the Cooper family, closed. The gas pump out front of the General Store was selling gas for $0.33 per gallon, or 8 cents per liter, at the time.
The townsite has a population of around 14 residents, so the village is not an abandoned ghost town, but it’s a shadow of its former self. Cooper’s Falls still sees regular visitors who come to tackle the challenging Cooper’s Falls Trail, an 8 km hike that was designed with nature lovers in mind. It winds its way past beaver ponds, deer habitat and bird nesting areas.
The Cooper’s Falls section is part of Gravenhurst’s contribution to the Trans-Canada Trail system.
Sources: Cooper’s Falls – Ghost Towns of Ontario | Hiking the GTA, Cooper’s Falls – Wikipedia, Cooper’s Falls – Maryboro Lodge Museum | Kawartha Virtual Museum, Cooper’s Falls Trail | Gravenhurst.
