Cooper's Cave, South Glens Falls

About Cooper's Cave

Cooper's Cave sits beneath a bridge connecting South Glens Falls and Glens Falls, offering visitors a viewing platform overlooking the cave that inspired James Fenimore Cooper's 1825 novel The Last of the Mohicans. After exploring the Adirondacks, Cooper encountered these caves along the Hudson River and drew on them to write his most celebrated work of love and adventure. The viewing platform includes information about Cooper and the Mohican Tribe, whose name for the Hudson River—Muhheakunnuk, or "river that flows two ways"—reflects the tidal forces that shaped the region. From the overlook, visitors can see how the river served as a major route during the Revolutionary War and later supported the timber and paper industries, with factories and power plants still visible across the water. The site suits anyone interested in American literature, Native American history, and the natural landscape that inspired a classic novel. Cooper's Cave is located in South Glens Falls, New York.