Coos Canyon

Coos Canyon is located adjacent to Route 17 approximately 6.8 miles north of the junction of Route 17 and US Highway 2 in the town of Mexico. Parking is available on the west side of the road. Best views require walking about 100 feet from the road out onto the rocks next to the falls.The falls at Coos Canyon are the upper of a pair of small but easily accessible waterfalls along the Swift River. The canyon itself is a long box-like sluice perhaps 20-30 feet deep at most which features several small tumbles and falls, the largest of which is a fairly scenic tumble of about 12 feet where the river makes a sharp left-hand bend. Above the main fall are three smaller drops, none of which drop more than 4 feet. The Swift River is a fairly large stream, draining approximately 70 square miles of land upstream from the falls. The ample size of the basin will ensure a healthy volume of water in the falls throughout the year, and because of how the river is constricted through the canyon, the falls will actually appear more substantial in the drier months, whereas during the spring freshet the river will partially swallow up the falls when it backs up in the canyon.