Explore/Mexico/MX/Copper Canyon — Chihuahua to Batopilas

MXChihuahua, MexicoChallengingMixed3-day tripMotoVault Pick

Copper Canyon — Chihuahua toBatopilas.

Distance

340 km

Duration

3 days

Climb

5,200 m

Rating

4.9 / 5

387 reviews

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Curated by Rider · Updated Jun 2026

Overview

Copper Canyon — Chihuahua to Batopilas.

The road from Chihuahua through Creel to Batopilas descends 2,400 m through six biomes in 80 km of switchbacks. The Copper Canyon system is deeper and wider than the Grand Canyon. Tarahumara (Rarámuri) villages line the canyon walls all the way to the silver-mining town at the bottom.

Quick facts

SurfaceMixed

Distance340 km

Days3

Total climb5,200 m

DifficultyChallenging

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Day-by-day

3 days, 3 moods.

A suggested split across 3 days with 14 waypoints to discover along the way.

DAY 01

Chihuahua City → Creel

4 stops

Chihuahua CityStart · Full services — fuel up and load up on supplies. The road to Creel has limited services. The División del Norte monument on Av. Juárez honours Pancho Villa's División — the largest revolutionary army in Mexican history.

CuauhtémocRestaurant · A Mennonite farming community settled in the 1920s produces 70% of Mexico's apples and most of its cheese. Roadside market stalls sell both. A good breakfast stop before the Sierra Madre begins.

La Junta Junction (MEX-16 Meets MEX-127)Scenic Point · The point where the road begins climbing seriously into the Sierra Tarahumara. Pine forests replace the high plains. Tarahumara women begin appearing at roadside stops selling hand-crafted baskets and woven goods.

CreelOvernight · The main access point for the Copper Canyon. Tarahumara women sell crafts at the Chepe (Chihuahua al Pacífico railway) station. Full services including hotels, restaurants, and fuel. The Adventure Centre has current road conditions for the Batopilas descent.

DAY 02

Valle de los Hongos → Batopilas

5 stops

Reviews

From riders.

387 verified rides logged on this route.

4.9/ 5

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

387 verified rides

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Valle de los HongosScenic Point · The Valley of the Mushrooms — bizarre volcanic tuff formations eroded into giant mushroom shapes by wind and rain. A 5-minute detour from the Batopilas road that opens Day 2 perfectly.

Divisadero Canyon ViewpointPhoto Spot · The premier overlook of the Copper Canyon system — four converging barrancas visible simultaneously, the deepest dropping 1,879 m. The canyon system is 4× larger and 200 m deeper than the Grand Canyon. This is the view that defines Copper Canyon.

Barranca del Cobre Rim — Descent BeginsScenic Point · The road begins its 2,400 m descent to the canyon floor in approximately 80 km of one-lane switchbacks. The vegetation transitions from highland pine through oak woodland as the temperature rises visibly with each kilometre.

Cerro Colorado — Mid-CanyonScenic Point · The mid-canyon stop on a red volcanic bluff overlooking the Batopilas River gorge. Subtropical ferns and tropical deciduous forest have replaced the highland pines entirely. The temperature is now 20°C warmer than Creel.

BatopilasOvernight · A colonial silver-mining town founded in 1632 at the bottom of the world — 25°C warmer than the canyon rim and accessible only by this one road. The Hacienda Riverside is the classic accommodation on the Batopilas River. The town's 300-year-old colonial core is UNESCO-nominated.

DAY 03

Batopilas Colonial Center & Church → Chihuahua City

5 stops

Batopilas Colonial Center & ChurchScenic Point · A morning walk through the silver city before the climb out. The Hacienda San Miguel ruins and the "lost cathedral" of Satevó (7 km downriver, accessible by a footpath) are the highlights.

Batopilas River Canyon RoadScenic Point · The dirt track following the Batopilas River upstream passes through Rarámuri villages and swimming holes in the river. Mules carry goods to communities with no road access. The geological layers of the canyon walls are extraordinary.

Canyon Rim — Summit RegainedMountain Pass · The full 2,400 m altitude is regained on the one-lane road back up the canyon wall. Two vehicles cannot pass in many sections — horn-honking on blind hairpins is mandatory etiquette. The view from the top, looking back down, is the best of the entire route.

Creel — Lunch StopRestaurant · Return to Creel for lunch and fuel. The craft market near the train station is worth one last pass — Rarámuri basketwork and woven goods are the best souvenirs of the Sierra.

Chihuahua CityEnd · Return to Chihuahua. The Pancho Villa Museum (his former house) and the Museo de la Revolución are outstanding. The Quinta Gameros — a 1910 art nouveau palace — is the finest building in the city.