Location: Sierra Madre Occidental Mountain, Chihuahua State, northwest Mexico
Closest major airport: Gral. Roberto Fierro Villalobos International Airport aka Chihuahua Intl. (CUU)
Nearest town/city: Creel (pop. 6,500), a small town known as the “Gateway to Copper Canyon.”
Other important cities/sites nearby: Chihuahua City (capital), 150 miles away
Web site: www.coppercanyon-mexico.com

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One of the most spectacular regions in Mexico is the Copper Canyon (Barrances del Cobre), four times larger and deeper than the Grand Canyon and located on the steepest part of the western range of the Sierra Madre Occidental mountain range in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua. Copper Canyon is actually a series of six massive gorges covering 25,000 square miles and featuring breathtaking waterfalls, lakes, rivers, impressive biodiversity and indigenous groups, all of which spell endless possibilities for adventure and cultural and ecotourism activities.

Contrary to its name, no copper has been found in these canyons - the name actually refers to the copper-colored lichen found on the canyon walls. Four of the six canyons are deeper than the Grand Canyon and two of the most spectacular include La Barranca del Urique, the deepest at 6,165 feet, and Sinforosa Canyon, known as the “Queen of the Copper Canyon,” because it is the most dramatic in terms of narrowness and verticality, resulting in one of the most challenging hikes in the region. Sinforosa Canyon plunges 6,000 feet, with 300-foot waterfalls pouring into the Verde River at the bottom. Mexico’s highest waterfalls can be found at Copper Canyon: Piedra Volada at 1,486 feet is the fourth-tallest in the world and the tallest by far in Mexico; and the Basaseachi at 807 feet is the fifth-tallest waterfall in North America and the second-tallest in Mexico.

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A terrific way to enjoy Copper Canyon without breaking a sweat is to take a ride on the Pacific-Chihuahua Railway (also called El Chepe). The journey is normally taken east, beginning in the coastal town of Los Mochis in Sinaloa. Visitors traverse 86 tunnels and 39 bridges through the Sierra Tarahumara, climbing to heights of 8000 feet above sea level, and can make strategic stops in quaint towns and scenic points along the way. Some of the towns include El Fuerte, built in 1564 by Spanish Conquistador Don Francisco de Ibarra as a military post; Divisadero; and Creel, a small logging town known as the doorway to the Tarahumara Indian settlements featuring nearby Tarahumara caves, as well as lakes, waterfalls, pine forests and strange rock formations. The Tarahumara Indians, who call themselves Raramuri or the “light-footed ones,” are one of the few remaining indigenous groups in the region.

Extreme sports are a major part of the action-packed trip to Copper Canyon. From mountain-biking paths that wind through the forest from the lumber town of Creel toward the canyons, to the rock-climbing craggy peak of El Gigante in Candameña Canyon, the region offers a variety of high-energy activities.