Located in Mexico’s Sierra Madre Mountains you will find a magnificent place called Copper Canyon.  The canyon itself is about 300 feet deep and the homeland of the Tarahumara Indians.  Although there are many magical things to see while visiting Copper Canyon, one of the most spectacular is the Chihuahua al Pacifico Railroad, which offers a magical ride that passes through 86 tunnels, over 37 bridges, and on its way into the rugged mountain range, climbs to almost 8,000 feet high.  This particular trip is so incredible that it is known as the best in the entire Western Hemisphere. 

Many people refer to the train ride as “train ride in the sky” and as you reach the highest point, you will see why.  The canyon is best seen during the daytime when the scenery can be appreciated with all its color.  You can catch the eastbound train from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon for the absolute best view and then in the winter months, after sundown is truly a sight to behold. 

The train runs daily from each direction, which includes the Segunda Chase and Primera Especial.  This second train offers first class cars that have a bar car, restaurant, and security while the Segunda is a second class train, no restaurant, typically crowded, and must slower.  Therefore, if you are going to enjoy this adventure, it is highly recommended you choose the Primera Especial. 

You can find a number of hotels near Copper Canyon, especially in the town of Chihuahua.  Here, the hotels will vary from nice, luxury accommodations with swimming pools and saunas to those designed more for people on a budget, with shared baths, small rooms, and no air conditioning.  If you enjoy hiking, you will find both short and long trails.  However, for longer hikes, you can generally get vehicle transportation to and from the starting point. 

You will find the canyon surrounded by many small towns, each having a distinct history.  For example, El Fuerte, which translates to “The Fort”, is a small colonial town with quaint cobblestone streets.  This town was established by Spanish Conquistador Don Francisco de lbarra in 1564 to be a military post.  In fact, for 300 years, it did just that, trading primarily silver and gold.  Then there is the village of Cerocahui, which is very small and very quiet, with only about 600 people living there.  The town itself sits about 5,000 feet above sea level but down below in the valley, there are orchards of fresh apples and peaches, which is reachable only by a dirt road. 

Chihuahua City is the capital and therefore a much larger city that has more modern accommodations.  When the Mexican Revolution and the War for Independence were raging, this city was a hub of activity.  In fact, a main leader in Mexico’s fight for independence was Father Miguel Hidalgo, who was executed there.  Other famous people from Chihuahua City include Pancho Villa and Benito Juarez.  One of the great sites is the Chihuahua State Museum and the Chihuahua Cathedral, which took more than 100 to finish. 

Urique is another small village that sits at the bottom of Copper Canyon.  Founded in 1690, the town was pretty much isolated from everything and everyone until 1975 when a dirt road leading to Chihuahua City was built.  Although gold mining is no longer as robust as it once was, some residents still do mine some.  El Divisadero translates to “The View Point”, which sits at the top of the canyon, almost to 8,000 feet.  As you can imagine, the views are spectacular.  Many visitors go to El Divisadero to explore caves where the Tarahumara Indians once lived. 

Next, there is Creel, which is also high in the canyon, about 7,200 feet.  This lumber town is considered a midway stopping point for many of the Indian villages and there too, you will find amazing caves to explore along with waterfalls, pine forests, magnificent lakes, and unusual rock formations.  Tejaban is also on the rim of Copper Canyon but they have a remote hotel that offers some of the best views of the canyon and well worth the stay.  In addition, there are wonderful hiking trails such as La Purisma, which will lead you to a historic gold and copper mine. 

Batopilas is back on the bottom of the canyon and just a sleepy little town that is truly a step back in time.  There, you will find cowboys on horses, Indians packing burros with supplies for smaller villages, Gothic mansion ruins, abandoned mines, a 400-year old Jesuit mission, and more.  With the surrounding mountains, this is a very unique town that is best visited from October through March to avoid the intense subtropical climate.  Finally, Cuauhtemoc is a modern city that was named after the famous Aztec Indian leader.  Today, Cuauhtemoc is a Mennonite community that is popular for its wonderful cheese. 

The name Copper Canyon is used as a general reference to all the various canyons in this area.  In fact, there are six massive gorges cover 25,000 square miles that make up “Copper Canyon”.  Although copper was mined here, it was never in large quantities.  Instead, the name “Copper” Canyon came from the copper/green lichen that clings to the canyon walls, giving it a coppery color.