Our Trips

Let us introduce you to the trails and people of Chihuahua’s Copper Canyon region. You’ll experience the incredible diversity of Chihuahuan ecosystems, from the cool pines and meadows in the highlands above, down through forests that include perhaps the greatest variety of oak and pine species found on the planet, to the subtropical canyon floors and the rivers that carved them out.

Since there are so many chances for adventure along the way, we like to keep our trip schedule flexible enough to accommodate the interests of all our guests. That way we’ll have the option of spending a little more time on activities or locations that strike our fancy.

If you’re looking for mucho singletrack, we can arrange a mountain bike tour itinerary to give you all you can handle. But remember, our trips aren’t all about riding. We’ll be taking some time to relax and enjoy the fantastic scenery and interesting people we’ll encounter as we make our journey to the Copper Canyons. 

If you enjoy your bike but prefer more “user friendly” roads and a good hike too, we can combine these activities for a rewarding trip filled with historical ruins and missions, waterfalls, hot springs, colonial towns and more.

Following are some examples of the types of tours we offer. Most of our tours require eight days so that we can fully enjoy all that this wonderful area has to offer.

Hiking Tour

The Canyons are criss-crossed with beautiful trails of every kind.  You can challenge yourself with a multi-day trek—either self supported, or with mules—that goes from the bottom of one canyon, up into the high country, and then down into another canyon. Or choose different day hikes that take you to spectacular overlooks, waterfalls, hot springs, and remote Tarahumara cave dwellings and villages. After all, the indigenous Tarahumara people of the area call themselves “Raramuri,” which means “Footrunners.” They’ve been traversing this rugged, vast region by foot for centuries, so why not try it for a week?

Hard-Core Mountain Biking Tour

See the Copper Canyons as you canyon hop, sweat, climb, navigate technical single-track and even carry your bike through rivers and rugged backcountry. You'll travel through those spectacular, hard-to-reach, seldom-visited places that are their own reward. For an example of such a trip, see “Treasure of the Sierra Madre” in the Sept. 1996 issue of Bike Magazine.

Kickin’ Back Tour

If it’s simply a relaxing sight-seeing tour of this amazing area of Mexico that you’d like to experience, we can do that too! We can take easy day walks to beautiful lakes, waterfalls and other points of interest while staying in deluxe accommodations. This package features a ride on the spectacular Chihuahua al Pacifico Railway to the charming town of El Fuerte. The price for this package is higher than for the normal package due to deluxe accommodations and the ride on the Chihuahua al Pacifico Railway.

Sample Mountain Bike Tour Itinerary

Day 1
The first day is spent traveling in the van from El Paso, Texas to the high sierra Madre town of Creel. As we cross the Chihuahuan Desert, we’ll see the Dunes of Samalayuca—one of the largest dune fields in North America and filming location for the movies “Dune” and “Conan.” Continuing on, we’ll take a route through colorful, rolling mountains, descending into the vast Mennonite farmlands and camps, where we can stop for lunch in a Mennonite run restaurant. We’ll then pass by the bustling Mennonite/Mexican city of Cuauhtemoc and then past miles of apple orchard covered land leading us up to the Western Sierra Madre mountains. Winding our way into the mountains will bring us to the railroad town of Creel, a major stop on the Chihuahua al Pacifico railway and a favorite with itinerant travelers.

Day 2
Today is spent mountain biking and/or hiking in the lush forests and valleys around Creel. Points of interest include a valley of looming stone pillars called “Visa Viverachi,” Recohuata hot springs, which sits at the bottom of Tararecua Canyon, and the picturesque Cusarare waterfall and Lake Arareco. The Creel area is renowned for its sweet, seemingly endless, single-track and its laid back vibe. The night will be spent in creel with plenty of Mexican food and beer on hand for those who so desire.

Day 3
Today we get an early start for the canyons. On this drive, we’ll pass through several canyons, including the Copper Canyon, before descending into Batopilas Canyon. We have the option along the way of a challenging single-track ride or hike on trails that will take us out to a spectacular overlook of the Batopilas Canyon, where we’ll be spending the next few days. Mountain Bikers can also test their forearms by riding down the famous switch backs that descend almost 5,000 feet to river level. The night will be spent sleeping out under the stars in La Bufa, a ghost town left by a gold mining company.

Days 4 - 6
These days are spent in the subtropical desert of Batopilas Canyon. Days can be spent on a variety of activities, depending on the group’s preferences. Possibilities include exploring the historic silver mining town of Batopilas, a bike ride or walk out to the next small settlement of Satevo to visit the 400 year-old Jesuit mission of Satevo, touring the “adobe castle” ruins of La Hacienda de San Miguel, or a bike ride, mule ride or hike up a side canyon to another small village. This last activity follows part of the famous Camino Real, or Royal Road, built by the Spanish over 400 years ago and still very much in use today. 

The more adventurous and physically fit can choose an overnight cross-canyon journey to Urique Canyon, with or without their bikes and with or without mule support. Each of these activities will surround you in the beauty of steep canyon walls, bougainvillea, fruit trees, cacti and the people of the canyons—the Tarahumara.

Day 7
After breakfast, it’s time to climb back out of the canyon in the van or in your easiest spin gear, as you experience the switch backs from the other direction. After passing back through canyon country, we’ll arrive back in Creel. The late afternoon/evening can be spent relaxing here, with time to do any last minute souvenir shopping, and to enjoy a big Mexican dinner.

Day 8
Our energy well spent, the van will carry us through the Sierra Madres and the Chihuahuan Desert and back across the border to El Paso.