Creel & Copper Canyon
A canyon system larger than the Grand Canyon: ride El Chepe through the mountains, take the Divisadero cable car and zip lines, and explore the rock formations, lakes, waterfalls and Rarámuri villages around Creel.
Copper Canyon (Barrancas del Cobre) lies in the Sierra Madre Occidental of Chihuahua in northwestern Mexico. It is made up of six major canyons, including the Copper, Urique and Batopilas canyons, covering roughly four times the area of the Grand Canyon, with some sections more than 1,800 m deep. It is home to the Rarámuri (Tarahumara) people, famed for their long-distance running. Creel, at about 2,340 m, is the base for exploring the northern rim, with a train station, hotels, tour agencies and handicraft shops. Half-day trips from town take in the Valley of the Mushrooms, the Valley of the Monks, Lake Arareko, the San Ignacio Mission and Rarámuri cave dwellings; to the south are Cusárare Falls and its mission, plus the Recohuata hot springs in the canyon; about an hour southwest by road are the Divisadero viewpoint and the Copper Canyon Adventure Park, with its cross-canyon cable car and long zip lines; and around 130 km northwest is Basaseachi Falls National Park. Getting there: the classic way is the El Chepe scenic train, about 9 hours from Chihuahua City or about 8 hours from Los Mochis/El Fuerte on the Pacific side to Creel; book ahead on the official website. Long-distance buses from Chihuahua City take about 4.5 hours. For nearby sights, rent a car, join a tour or go by bike. Seasons: Sep–Nov, after the rains, brings lush green landscapes and full waterfalls; Mar–Apr is sunny and dry; Jul–Aug is the rainy season, with frequent afternoon thunderstorms; Dec–Feb nights are bitterly cold and snow is possible. Plan on 3–4 days. At this altitude, bring sun protection and warm layers; respect local customs when visiting Rarámuri communities and ask before taking photos; security can be complicated in some mountain areas, so check the latest safety advice before setting out and avoid driving at night.
Top sights
- Copper Canyon Adventure Park – An adventure park on the canyon rim, with a 2.8-km cable car spanning the gorge, a world-class long zip line, and iron-cable climbing route…
- El Divisadero Viewpoint – A classic viewpoint from which you can see the Copper Canyon, the Urique Canyon and the Tararecua Canyon, where three gorges meet.
- El Chepe Railway – A scenic railway running from Chihuahua to the Pacific coast, crossing 86 tunnels and 37 bridges. It is considered one of the most spectacu…
- Creel Town – A logging and railway town at about 2,340 m above sea level, serving as the base camp for exploring Copper Canyon and the Tarahumara mounta…
- Lake Arareko – A horseshoe-shaped lake about 8 km southeast of Creel, surrounded by pine forests and unusual rock formations, with boating, horseback ridi…
- Valley of the Mushrooms & Frogs – Volcanic rock formations on the southern outskirts of Creel, weathered into mushroom and frog shapes, making them the most accessible unusu…
- Valley of the Monks – Tall rock pillars stand in a row like a procession of monks. Known in Rarámuri as “Bisabírachi” (upright phallus), the landscape is strikin…
- San Ignacio de Arareko Mission – An 18th-century Jesuit mission built of stone, still the religious center of the Rarámuri community, with no pews inside the church.
- Sebastián's Cave – A cave dwelling still lived in by Rarámuri families, offering insight into traditional Indigenous ways of life.
- Cusárare Falls – A waterfall about 30 m high in a pine-forested canyon. From the road, a roughly 3 km walk along the river leads to viewpoints at the top an…
- Cusárare Mission – An adobe mission founded by the Jesuits in 1741, with walls painted with Rarámuri geometric patterns, next to the Loyola Museum of Religiou…
- Recohuata Hot Springs – A natural hot spring pool at the bottom of Tararecua Canyon, reached by about 600 stone steps down to the river, where you can soak while l…
- Rukiraso Falls – A multi-tiered waterfall in the canyon south of Creel. A clifftop lookout overlooks the falls dropping into the deep canyon, and it sees fe…
- Basaseachi Falls – One of Mexico's tallest year-round waterfalls, about 246 m high, located in Candameña Canyon within the national park of the same name.
- Batopilas – A silver-mining town at the bottom of Copper Canyon. The cliffside road descending nearly 1,800 m from Creel is the most iconic deep-canyon…
Where to eat
- La Cabana Restaurant – Founded in 1965 and considered Creel's first restaurant, known for steaks made from 100% Chihuahua beef and mountain di…
- Tio Molcas Restaurant – An affordable home-style eatery close to the Chepe train station; food arrives quickly, making it convenient to eat bef…
- La Estufa Bar – A bar-restaurant opened in 1987 with a fireplace, serving traditional Chihuahua and mountain dishes; popular for breakf…
Itineraries
- Classic Chepe Train & Copper Canyon Tour – Take the Chepe train up the mountain from Chihuahua, explore around Creel, and stay on the canyon rim.
- Creel Hub-and-Spoke Tour & Basaseachic Falls – Stay five consecutive nights in Creel, taking day trips to canyons, waterfalls, hot springs, and Mennonite communities.