Journey Mexico Copper Canyon Hiking Trip - Lower Rio Urique Wilderness

Follow the Urique River, which winds through the bottom of the rugged Copper Canyon floor. This expedition style hike offers stunning views of the river, treks through narrow slot canyons, and visits to native communities perched on the canyon walls.

Highlights

Copper Canyon:

Hiking through the stunning Batopilas Canyon with incredible views of the river and a crossing of a suspension bridge at Vado de la Cueva
Overnights in beautiful oak and jarrilla studded campsites
Visits to remote settlements of native Tarahumara and sharing the canyon trails with indigenous farmers and ranchers
Overnights in the historic frontier settlements of El Fuerte, Cerocahui, Creel, Chihuahua, and Batopilas
Train journey on the famous Chihuahua al Pacifico railroad from the pacific coast to the rim of the canyon. This train ride is a highlight in itself, showcasing the spectacular transition between the dazzling Sea of Cortez and the arid canyons of the Sierra Tarahumara.

Prices

4 - 12 clients at $2,490 per client /pax

Dates

This trip can run year round

Price Includes

CPR, First Aid Certified, bi-lingual Journey Mexico in country guide throughout; all accommodation starting with Day 1 on Day 9 ; all transfers throughout starting from hotel on Day 2 and ending in the hotel on Day 9; arrival/departure transfers on arrival/departure days (Journey Mexico reserves the right to have pax wait for fellow clients arriving within :30 minutes of their arrival); camping equipment except sleeping bags; Copper Canyon train trip; all meals as indicated in the detailed itinerary below (B,L,D); camping (based on twin share) and meals while camping; local guides; arrieros who care for the pack stock; pack mules and burros for luggage; local gratuities to wait-staff for included meals, maid service, and porters.

Price Excludes

International and internal flights, arrival/departure transfers not on arrival/departure days (can be provided at $150 USD/up to 6 pax); airport taxes, immigration card ($17 U.S.); meals on Day 1 and on Day 9; accommodation preceding Day 1 in El Fuerte or Chihuahua and following Day 9 in Chihuahua or El Fuerte (can be arranged; see pricing); gratuities to trip leader and local guides in Copper Canyon (see recommendations on tipping).

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Itinerary

Day 1

Fly into Los Mochis and transfer to El Fuerte. In El Fuerte, we will stay at the Hotel El Fuerte near the beautiful central plaza. You will meet your guide, James Santiago Barnaby, upon your arrival at the hotel. (Dinner Included)

Day 2

Today starts with a train ride into the Sierra Madre to Est. Creel and an early morning transfer to the train station. We'll catch the 1st Class Express "Chepe" on the Chihuahua al Pacifico railway. This is one of the finest train journeys in the world. The train climbs 7200' into the Sierra Madre Occidental, crosses 37 bridges, and passes through 86 tunnels. You'll travel through sub tropical thorn forests and then rise into the pine forests by way of the Barranca Septentrion. Along the way, you will see deep canyons, waterfalls and Tarahumara ranchos. At El Divisadero the train stops for 15 minutes where you will be able to view the Barranca del Cobre and the Rio Urique 4000' below. At this stop, there are many brightly dressed Tarahumara women who will be selling handcrafts. We'll arrive in Creel about 5 PM and transfer to Margarita's Plaza Mexicana. In Creel is a 24 hr. ATM and you can, also, call the U. S. (Brekfast, Lunch, and Dinner Included)

Day 3

Today, we go from the high sierra to the canyon floor by van. After breakfast, we load the van and head for Batopilas via the only paved road crossing the Copper Canyon from north to south. At Samachique, we leave the asphalt for the long, dramatic, and winding descent from the high pine forest to the sub tropical thorn forests of the Barranca Batopilas. Hang on to your hats and grab your cameras! We'll stop at La Bufa, an abandoned mine site, to prepare a "discada" over an open fire. We arrive in the historic and very friendly mining pueblo of Batopilas in the afternoon, giving us time to explore it's cultural and historic beauty. (Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner Included)

Day 4

Today, we go from the canyon floor to the high sierra by foot. We leave Batopilas at 1600' elevation and, with packstock, we gradually climb over 7 miles to an elevation of 5800', arriving at a beautiful oak and jarrilla studded campsite, which gives us a rare view into the river bottoms of both the Rio Batopilas and the Rio Urique. Along the way are powerful vistas in all directions of the thorn forests, oak and pine biotic zones, the majestic Mesa Yerbanis, the needle of Cerro de la Aguja, and the rugged mountains of Sinaloa, which break away to the coastal lowlands. You will arrive in a region of extreme beauty. This nights camp is in a stunning location on Mesa San Jose, and we will share a meal with the people who work the lands of this high altitude mesa. (Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner Included)

Day 5

Today, we hike through the high pine forests. Following the ridge which separates the Barranca Batopilas and the Barranca Urique, we rise into extensive pine forests and pass through the small rancho of El Algarin. The air is permeated with the scent of pines and a beautiful epiphyte, known as Toje, decorates the forest with it's pink blossoms and you might, even, encounter a white orchid. We reach our highest elevation today at 7600' and then descend into the Lower Rio Urique Wilderness and camp this evening on Mesa Larga among oak trees. Our camp is unique in that it is a very small finger mesa which falls away steeply on three sides into the rugged Canyon Piedra La Cuesta with it's 2000' headwall at the summit. Coyotes are often heard howling in the distance. The sunsets are incredible, and the views up and down the Barranca Urique are awesome. (Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner Included)

Day 6

This day is the descent to the Rio Urique. We descend 3000' to the rancho of Piedra la Cuesta where a small creek is encountered and followed a short distance until we climb 500' through El Pasito. From this pass is our first closeup and personal view of the Rio Urique, a boulder strewn run of the river and our white sand beach campsite at Charco de los Burros Muertos at a sweeping bend of the river at an elevation of 1500'. You will be able to enjoy a huge, deep swimming hole and float lazily downriver through the rock gardens as the trail dust from the past 2 days melts away. On many occasions, military macaws have been seen on the cliffs above camp. This is a complex biotic zone of Magpie Jays, Trogons, Streakedback Orioles and many more bird species. The plant life is no less spectacular with it's Amapa Lilac and Amarilla, Palo Blanco, Pochote, the unusual Papache with it's edible, viscous "chocolate" and the large cactuses Pitahaya, Cardon and Bisnaga. Tonight we relax around a driftwood campfire. (Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner Included)

Day 7

Today, we hike the Rio Urique. We follow the Rio Urique upriver through the thorn forest and beautiful riparian habitat. This is a shorter day of hiking with a very gradual ascent, stunning views of the river, and a crossing of a suspension bridge at Vado de la Cueva on our way to another wonderful beach campsite at Playa Agugerada. The swimming hole here is even larger than yesterday's and has two monumental boulders from which you can jump into the river. For those who would like, there is an optional 2 hour hike into a watery, narrow slot canyon, which has very different plant forms from the open canyon of the Rio Urique. In the evening, we will have another driftwood campfire as we enjoy our last night camping in the wilderness.(Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner Included)

Day 8

Today, we arrive in Urique. This is our last day on the trail, and we will hike about 4 hours along the Rio Urique, passing through the villages of La Laja and Guapalaina before we enter the 200 year old mining town of Urique. There will be time to explore and our stay will be at the Hotel Estrella del Rio. (Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner Included)

Day 9

Today we travel from Urique to Chihuahua City, by van, climbing 6000' from the canyon floor to the high pine clad sierra. We will visit the beautiful old stone church on the plaza in Cerocahui and gradually make our way to Creel where we stop for lunch and the last opportunity to buy Tarahumara crafts. We cross the continental divide and pass the Rio Conchos, whose waters drain to the Gulf of Mexico. The road descends from the pine forests and onto the plains with it's Mennonite farms well known for apples and dairy products. Our stay is at the Hotel San Francisco in the heart of the city next to the plaza and the cathedral. (Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner Included)

Day 10

Departure for home.

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