[3] The town derives its name from a lake, which was known to the natives as Cook-pake, or Ack-kook-peek,[4] meaning "Snake Pond".

Because New England claimed ownership west to the Hudson River, a border dispute broke out.

The Massachusetts Bay Colony laid out three townships west of the Taconic Mountains in 1755.

In 1844, a rally organized by the Taconic Mutual Association took place in the center of the hamlet.

In Taconic State Park adjacent to Copake Falls is the "Ore Pit", a former iron mine, now a 40-foot (12 m) deep swimming pond.

The Roeliff Jansen Kill flows through the center of the town, and Taghkanic Creek crosses the northwestern corner; both waterways lead west to the Hudson River.

The town is easily accessible from New York City via the Taconic State Parkway or NYS Route 22 and is a popular destination for second-home owners escaping busy Manhattan.

Metro-North Railroad is also located approximately 20 minutes south of the town, with service to and from Grand Central Terminal.

Copake is located sixteen miles from the small Massachusetts town, Great Barrington.