A couple of hours west of Chihuahua in Northern Mexico is the Copper Canyon or, Barrance del Cobre, as it is known in Spanish. This canyon rivals Ameria’s Grand Canyon in that it is 3 times the size and deeper than the Grand Canyon. The canyon is also home to the Tarahumara indians, the name deriving from “rahumara” or foot runners.

I arrived in Creel, the gateway to the Copper Canyon, via bus from Chihuahua and took up residence in the popular Margarita’s Hostel located in the center of town. The hostel offers comfortable dorm rooms, meals and also access to the kitchen if you fancy cooking your own meals. It’s also a great place to meet other travelers and perhaps share the cost of transportation and tours into the canyon.

The town itself has a old west feel to it and is a friendly, comfortable and centrally located place to stay if you’re planning on exploring the countryside. Shuttles to Batopilas at the bottom of the Copper Canyon also run from here.  I had arrived during the rainy season and opted not to hike in the canyon due to an elevated danger of flash floods as well as not having anyone to hike with.

There is still plenty to do in and around the town of Creel. I met up with some European travelers and decided on a hike into the country surrounding Creel. This was a great day excursion along railway tracks, past old farms and through meadows and fields that surround the town of Creel. On our return we sunned ourselves on giant boulders overlooking the valley and took in the wonderful vistas and fresh air in peace and quiet.

After a few days in the town of Creel I decided to hitchhike out to a Lake Arareko located a few miles from the town and do some camping. While I recommend Lake Arareko as a day trip I don’t recommend spending the night here in a tent. There are a few pit toilets but for the most part there are no facilities available as Mexicans don’t really camp like we do in North America. In the evenings you’ll find the place abandoned. One evening I was caught in a thunder storm and to make matter worse my tent was surrounded by a couple of wild dogs. It was like something out of a horror film. I was fortunate to meet some college students from Chihuahua who were in the area for the weekend. They invited me to join them the following day as they toured the region which was very hospitable of them to say the least. The following morning I packed up my gear and met them at the entrance to the park.

Our first stop is probably the most famous scenic vista of the Copper Canyon located at Divisadero. If you’re taking the train through to Los Mochis then it does stop here and allow you to purchase some souvenirs from local hawkers as well as snap some photos of the Copper Canyon. Whether you’re on the train or taking a tour from Creel try not to miss this area as it gives you sweeping vistas of the Copper Canyon where 3 of the main canyons comes together.

From Divisadero we drove to the Balancing Rock, a huge boulder perched thousands of feet above the Copper Canyon where, when you move from side to side, shifts on a point. Being afraid of heights I found the boulder both frightening and fascinating. I also noticed that there were no signs barring people from climbing out onto the rock, something that would definitely have been in place had this tourist stop been located anywhere in Canada or the U.S. I appreciate the ability to exercise personal responsibility as opposed to having places like this marred with fences and keep out signs.

If you’re not on a tight itinerary then I recommend spending a few days in Creel and if you have even more time available then head into the valley for some real hikes, something I most certainly will be doing next time I’m through the region. While I was able to see and do a fair bit I also know that I only scratched the surface of this area and a proper trip would have included some overnight hikes into the canyon itself from Batopilas.

The train through to Los Mochis leaves from the town of Creel with the first class train (approx. double the price) leaving a few hours before the second class train. The advantage to taking the first class train is that you’ll get to see more of the Copper Canyon during daylight as it is an overnight train. From what I understand the best way to take the trip is to travel from west to east to take full advantage of daylight hours.

More information on train fares, schedules and reservations can be found at railsnw.com .

For a place that is so close to the U.S. border Creel and the Copper Canyon are often overlooked as travel destinations as people flock to the beaches of Mexico but if hiking, scenic vistas culture are things that interest you then it’s well worth the effort to take the trip into the Copper Canyon.

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