Copper Canyon from the US: Routes, Chepe Train and Crossings

This guide is here to help you plan. It isn't legal or safety advice, and rules, schedules and conditions change. We last verified it on 17 Oct 2026, so please confirm the details with the official sources linked below.

There are few places like the Barrancas del Cobre. In the Sierra Tarahumara the El Chepe train hugs the cliff edges, pine forest covers the high country around Creel, and the road drops for hours into the warm canyon floor at Urique. It's home to the Rarámuri, famous for running, and every March runners from around the world come for the Ultra Caballo Blanco. From the US the journey starts at a border crossing in Chihuahua. That first part is where we can help, and below we've gathered what we'd want to know before heading down.

Before you plan: the US travel advisory

We'd rather you hear this from us now than discover it halfway through your planning. The State Department's Mexico advisory (Level 2 overall, published 28 May 2026) says US citizens should follow the same restrictions as US government employees. In practice that means:

• no travel between cities after dark;
• no driving between Mexican border cities and the interior "with limited exceptions";
• checking the advisory's maps of restricted areas, which is where the Chihuahua detail now lives.

We couldn't confirm what the May 2026 maps say for Chihuahua. For context, the previous version (August 2025):

• rated Chihuahua "Reconsider travel";
• put the Copper Canyon off-limits to US government employees;
• approved only Highway 45 between Ciudad Juárez and Chihuahua City. Highway 16 west to Cuauhtémoc and Creel, and the route from Ojinaga, were not approved.

The UK and Australia also advise against non-essential travel to most of Chihuahua, but exempt the Chepe railway route and the towns directly on it, including Creel.

Whether to go is your call, and we don't judge whether a trip is safe. Take a few minutes with the current advisory and the UK guidance before you decide.

Getting there by car

There's something special about watching the desert outside Juárez slowly turn into sierra. Here's how the drive usually goes.

From El Paso (the most common route):

1. Cross into Ciudad Juárez. Southbound drivers usually use the Bridge of the Americas (free) or Ysleta–Zaragoza (toll). Check the live waits for Juárez before you leave.
2. Stop at the INM office at the port to get your FMM stamped, and get your vehicle permit (see the driving checklist). Ten minutes of paperwork here saves a lot of trouble later.
3. Take Highway 45/45D south past the Km 30 checkpoint and the Samalayuca garita to Chihuahua City: about 370 km, roughly 4 hours.
4. Take Highway 16 west through Cuauhtémoc and La Junta to Creel: about 260 km, roughly 3.5–4 hours.

Altogether that's about 7.5 to 9 hours of driving. Realistically it takes two daylight days with a night in Chihuahua City. That makes for an easier trip, and it also fits the advisory's no-driving-after-dark rule.

From Presidio (Ojinaga): Highway 16 runs from Ojinaga to Chihuahua City, about 230 km and roughly 3 hours by map estimates. It was not an approved route for US government employees in 2025. See the live waits for Ojinaga.

Inside the canyon (estimates):

• Creel → Divisadero: about 45 km, 1 hour.
• Creel → Batopilas: 4–5 hours of mountain road.
• To Urique: go via San Rafael or Bahuichivo and Cerocahui. The road is paved to Cerocahui; the last ~40 km are rough dirt and need high clearance or 4WD.

A tip from people who cross often: our statistics show the typical wait by weekday and hour, so you can pick an early, quiet time to cross and get through Chihuahua City in daylight.

Getting there by train: El Chepe

If you've ever wanted to see the canyon slowly, from a train window, this is the way. The Chihuahua al Pacífico railway is the classic route into the sierra, and it's the route the UK and Australia exempt from their warnings.

Chepe Express (official 2026 timetable):

• Los Mochis → Creel, Monday, Thursday and Saturday: departs 07:00, Divisadero 16:15, arrives Creel 17:40.
• Creel → Los Mochis, Tuesday, Friday and Sunday: departs 08:00, Divisadero 09:55, arrives Los Mochis 16:40.
• Stops: Los Mochis, El Fuerte, Bahuichivo, Divisadero, Creel.
• In May, June, August and September it runs Thursday to Sunday only.
• Sinaloa (Los Mochis) is one hour behind Chihuahua, so double-check your times.

Chepe Regional: a secondary source (July 2026) reports a slower service from Chihuahua City that leaves at 06:00 and reaches Creel around 11:47, four days a week. We couldn't confirm the days or fares officially, so check with Chepe directly before you count on it.

Running the Ultra Caballo Blanco

For many runners this race is a long-held dream: canyon trails and a whole town that comes out for the runners. A few things will make getting there easier.

• Dates: UltraSignup lists 6–7 March 2027: the 100-mile race on the 6th, starting in Cerocahui; the 50-mile/80K, 42K and 21K on the 7th. The official site's headline says 5–7 March, so confirm with the organizers before booking.
• Organizers: True Messages (a US nonprofit) and the Municipality of Urique, with support from the state of Chihuahua.
• Getting to Urique: about 8.5 hours by car from Chihuahua City per the organizers, or the Chepe to Bahuichivo and then about 2 hours by road. The final dirt section is the slow part, so take your time.
• Cash: the official site says Urique has no banks or ATMs and often runs short of pesos. Bring what you need for the whole stay, plus a little extra.
• Phone signal: limited or none. Share your plans with someone at home before you go.

Tips from the road

• Fuel: fill up in Cuauhtémoc and Creel before heading deeper (trip reports).
• Cash: Creel's ATM has run out of cash in the past (older trip reports). Batopilas and Urique are effectively cash-only, so withdraw in Chihuahua City or Cuauhtémoc.
• Night driving: avoid mountain roads after dark.
• Weather: the canyon rim sits high and can be cold at night in winter, while the canyon floor (Urique, Batopilas) is much warmer. Pack layers.
• Drones: rules for tourists are unclear. Drones over 250 g reportedly must be registered with Mexico's aviation authority (AFAC). We found no official tourist guidance, so the cautious choice is a drone of 250 g or less, flown away from towns, crowds and archaeological sites.

Heading home

Cancel your vehicle permit at a Banjercito module and have your FMM ready before crossing north. Declare all food. Returning residents get a US$800 exemption. See what you can bring into the US and documents to cross into the US.

More paperwork detail: FMM tourist card and vehicle permit (Spanish).

Official sources

• US State Department: Mexico travel advisory
• UK FCDO: Mexico regional risks
• Chepe Express timetable
• Ultra Caballo Blanco (True Messages)
• CBP: what to expect when you return

Have you run the canyon or crossed recently? We'd love to hear your tips, and we're happy to help with any question we didn't answer here: hola@alpuente.mx.