The river flows through the small locality of Cooplacurripa, after which it is named.

Cooplacurripa River rises on the eastern slopes of the Great Dividing Range, southeast of Branga Plain, south of Walcha, and flows generally southeast by south, joined by two tributaries including the Mummel River and Walcrow River, before reaching its confluence with the Manning River, north of Gloucester.

The river descends 1,120 metres (3,670 ft) over its 79 kilometres (49 mi) course.

[2] Land adjacent to the Cooplacurripa River is principally used as grazing for beef cattle.

The 22,560 hectares (55,700 acres) cattle station, Cooplacurripa, situated on the Cooplacurripa River, was formerly owned by the Australian Agricultural Company.