Is the Copper Canyon safe for tourists?

We all know that when someone asks if somewhere in Mexico is ‘safe’, they’re really asking ‘will we be killed or kidnapped by drug gangs?‘. I don’t mean to be flippant about this subject but honestly, the chances of this happening are pretty low. Ask yourself the following questions:

1. Am I going to buy drugs when I’m in Mexico?
2. Am I going to buy a gun when I’m in Mexico?
3. Am I deliberately going to seek out nefarious people I’d avoid like the plague at home?

I’m assuming, from the fact that you’re reading a blog article written by a fine upstanding human like me that your answers are emphatic no. In which case, you’ll be just fine.

Remember, millions of people, normal people like you and me, live in Mexico. They raise their kids here, send them to school, do their shopping, take vacations in Mexico, and generally no one has a problem.

So specifically the Copper Canyon: Yes, it’s safe. I was told repeatedly that it’s perfectly safe for visitors. Just don’t disappear off alone into the deepest canyons, don’t stray too far from the generally visited areas and please don’t try to buy drugs.

Is the Copper Canyon safe to visit with kids?

My kids were young when we visited. As you’d expect, they were pretty unpredictable in their ability to hear or follow instructions and they were, of course, completely oblivious to the fact that they’re mortal yet we returned from a month in the Copper Canyon with the same number of children as we started with.

We did. Not one trip to a hospital (oh, actually, one but that was for croup because my son used to drink dirty swimming pool water), not one rescue helicopter (to the chagrin of some) and not one claim on our insurance.

See. It can be done.

On to the actual safety issues of the Copper Canyon

⛰ The main concern with the Copper Canyon and the towns around it is not crime but the fact that the Copper Canyon is, a collection of very deep ravines and canyons. And in many places, there are no safety barriers between the path and the canyon.

👧🏽 Additionally, many of the popular Copper Canyon activities, which we’ll discuss below, include a lot of hiking or walking. We were a trifle concerned about our kids but we talked with them about holding our hands, walking sensibly when we ask them to and not running too far ahead.

I would just recommend having a similar conversation with your small kids. Bigger kids, hopefully, will need less hand holding.

📑 Do note that I always recommend getting travel insurance prior to any trip and the Copper Canyon is no exception. Accidents happen and if someone trips on a trail and gets hurt, travel insurance will help cover the costs. (Plus things like lost luggage, trip delays, etc.) SafetyWing is my travel insurance of choice.

How to travel around the Copper Canyon with kids

Train – El Chepe

🚂 The most popular way to explore the Copper Canyon is undeniably by train. The train’s official name is the Ferrocarril Chihuahua al Pacífico but it’s generally referred to as ‘El Chepe’. El Chepe is one of the only remaining passenger trains in Mexico*.

🚂 There are 2 different Chepe trains:

El Chepe Express, which run between Los Mochis and Creel and is aimed at tourists. It is generally considered to be a more comfortable ride with restaurant cars and great viewing spaces. It has fewer stops than the Regional but it stops at all the stations tourists are likely to visit.

El Chepe Regional, which runs between Creel and Chihuahua City and is aimed more at locals moving around the region. It’s a slower, slightly less comfortable journey than the Express. There are more stops. – It is possible to take this train in some sections as a tourist but it isn’t made easy as the train line actively wants all tourists on the Express. See my article about booking your Copper Canyon trip for more information.

→ Book your train tickets

* As of 2024, the Maya train was up and running around the Yucatán Peninsula and there’s the Tequila Train running from Guadalajara to Tequila pueblo.

Where to visit in the Copper Canyon with kids?

🚂 The Chepe Express runs between the coastal city of Los Mochis and Creel with stops in El Fuerte, Bahuichivo, & Divisadero. 

It’s also possible to travel between Creel and Chihuahua City on the Chepe Regional, which I highly recommend doing because Chihuahua is a fabulous city to explore with kids. 

We began our trip in Chihuahua City and ended in El Fuerte. We stopped off in Creel, Divisadero, & Bahuichivo (to also visit Urique).

🧭 In this section we’ll discuss each location, what there is to do, where to stay and how to explore with kids. I shall write about locations as if you’re taking the train from the city of Chihuahua towards Los Mochis. Obviously, if you’re travelling in the other direction, start at the bottom and go backwards.

Creel with kids 

We loved Creel. This pueblo magico (Magical town) is where the Chepe train officially begins and although the landscape isn’t quite as dramatic as it is further into the canyons, here you’re surrounded by magnificent vistas and places to run and explore with kids.

Possibly precisely because Creel isn’t properly in the canyon ranges it actually felt freer and safer for kids to run wild.

⭐️ MexicoCassie recommended tour around Creel – this tour takes in most of the sites below.

What to do in Creel with kids

Hiking & exploring

🥾 Chapultepec and Parador Cristo Rey

Both of these locations are in the foothills around town. We spent a while in tourist information asking where we could explore with the kids and it was only after some time that these were suggested to us. Both were great and are highly recommended if you need downtime or a day without spending money on a tour.

💧 Lago Arareko

Lago Arareko is a large lake surrounded by rocks that are perfect for climbing and a gorgeous pine forest. I’ve heard it’s also possible to rent small boats but we didn’t see any proof of this while we were there. We originally made a short visit on an organized tour but loved it so much that we ended up going a second time and spending a lot longer here.

🍆 Valle de Los Monjes 

This is yet a valley where kids of all ages can explore, play, climb and yell to their hearts’ content.

Older kids will giggle when you tell them that the valley used to be called Penis Valley until the prudish conquistadors arrived and changed the name to Nuns’ Valley.

Main tourist sites

These sites can be visited on a tour or by driving yourself if you have a car available.

⭐️ MexicoCassie recommended tour around Creel – this tour takes in most of the sites below.

🐸 Valle de Los Hongos y las Ranas

This is a valley where the rocks are said to be shaped like mushrooms and frogs. Some of them do, from certain angles, it’s true. We visited here as part of a day tour and the kids loved climbing and marvelling at the views.

💦 Cascada de Cusarare 

Cascada de Cusarare is a spectacular waterfall. We loved the waterfall, and we also had a great time getting there. The car journey wowed the kids as we began to see more wild scenery and even crossed a small river in the car. The thirty-minute walk to the top of the waterfall is also fun for kids as there are souvenir and snack stalls all the way along.

The view at the top of the waterfall completely silenced my kids. I’m sure you know it’s hard to silence children but they truly stood and contemplated what they were seeing. I don’t know which impressed me more, that they had noticed the beauty, or the beauty itself.

And then we climbed the steps to the bottom and the kids went nuts for climbing on the rocks and exploring the pools at the bottom.

➕ Basaseachic Falls are also a popular day trip from Creel with kids but we decided one waterfall was enough.

♨️ Recowata Thermal Pools

These thermal pools/hot springs are at the bottom of a steep valley. If you don’t have a car of your own then you’ll need to take a tour or a cab to reach them. Know in advance whether you want to be driven all the way to the pools or whether you want to hike there and back.

Note that you aren’t permitted to drive your own car down to the pools. You have to leave it in the carpark.

We chose to get dropped off at the top and to walk to the pool. I won’t lie, it was further and harder than we thought with small kids but both managed it. The pools were fun.

🥨 Take water and snacks as there’s nothing available at the site.

⭐️ MexicoCassie recommended tour – a half day tour to the Taracrecua Canyon either on foot or in a suitable vehicle depending on your preference. You’ll have time to enjoy the hot spring pools and relax before you return. Note that the walk is long and steep. We did it with small kids in tow and the little one was really not super happy with us.

→ Reserve now

Souvenir shopping

If your kids are into souvenirs and shopping then they’ll have a great time in and around Creel as there are plenty of opportunities to browse and buy. In Creel there are souvenir shops, small markets and street sellers. At each tourist site there will generally be people selling their wares too.

💰 This is a good time to give the kids a little extra pocket money.

Playing

🛝My kids, when they were small, could play anywhere. Give them a town plaza with a gazebo in the middle and they were playing, give them a stair rail and they’d be playing. This brought the local kids out in droves in Creel – while the Raramuri adults (the local Indigenous people), rightly, had no interest in us, their kids were keen to play with our kids. 

🍩 Donas Voladoras

Kids over 10 will love this extreme slide experience where you sit in a rubber ring and slide down a steep slide until you fly off the end of it onto a huge air pillow.

🛤 Train tracks

The train tracks go right through town and there are only few trains a day. Our kids loved walking along the tracks. We did remind them that this was not to be a regular occurrence once the holiday was over, obviously.

Learning

📚 Wherever you’re from, it’s good to learn about different cultures and histories. Creel is a great place to start talking to kids about Indigenous people, and the realities of colonialism/imperialism and its ripple impacts down the centuries. 

It’s possible to take a tour to visit traditional Raramuri cave homes and to visit the small museum of local history. 

→ Check out this Tarahumara Cultural tour

⭐️ Read more about exploring around Creel

Divisadero and the Copper Canyon Adventure Park

Note on train stations here because there are 2: Divisadero & Posada Barrancas. If you’re on the Chepe Regional you’ll need to know which you need. If you’re on the Express then it’ll only stop at Divisadero.

Divisadero and Posada Barrancas are two stops 15 minutes apart. The adventure park is between the two.

Copper Canyon Adventure Park with kids

This incredible adventure park is a brilliant place to visit with kids of all ages (or without them). The park is free to visit but the activities cost money. There are seven 7 zip-lines including the second longest zip-line in the world, 2 hanging bridges, a via ferrata, and an incredible 3km cable car journey that takes you over to the Mesa de Bacajipare mirador. This is definitely a place families won’t forget.

We spent two days in the adventure park because we were having so much fun. There are plenty of lookout points and places to run in the forest when the kids tire of the views.

The park is open 9-5, every single day of the year.

​For the big kids

Big kids will absolutely love the zip-lines, the via ferrata and the aerial walk way in the forest. It’s also an ideal place for horseback riding & hiking if your kids are excited by these activities.

Teens and older kids will be able to do zip-lines alone, smaller-big kids will have to go strapped to an adult (see photo above).

For the smaller kids

Specifically for little kids, there is a play area, a mini golf course, a climbing wall, a mini train,  and a small zip-line.

For everyone

The cable car to Mesa de Bacajipare mirador is an absolute must for everyone as the views are out of this world. However, this is one of those places to keep a tight hold of the kids.

We took a ride on quad-bikes, which our son declared to be a dream come true and the best moment of his life (facepalm. Think of all the money we could have saved by just hiring a quad-bike for thirty minutes and then leaving him at home).

Bahuichivo / Cerocahui with kids

Bahuichivo itself isn’t anywhere people need to go but it’s a good gateway for getting a little deeper into the canyon. We spent around a week in this area checking out Cerocahui and Urique.

If you need actual ‘things’ to do with your kids then this possibly isn’t a place to spend too long. We were deliberately taking things slow and exploring slowly but we all very much enjoyed ourselves.

What to do in Bahuichivo / Cerrocahui

Mirador Cerro de Gallego

This is a viewpoint overlooking the astounding Urique Canyon. The views will take your breath away…and small kids will run around like crazy people. Running here is safe…mainly.

Secret spots you need a guide to find

⭐️ We walked, with a guide, through a forest to a secluded waterfall where we swam and had a picnic with no one else around. The water was chilly but the kids loved bounding through the forest and splashing in the water. You’ll find the waterfall on the map as “Cascada de Cerocahui” but you will 100% need a guide to help you get there.

⭐️ Between Cerocahui and the mirador is a cave that you truly need to hunt for. It wasn’t easy to find. The owners of our lodge told us about it and then sent us off with vague instructions. We actually failed to follow them but instead stumbled upon the old man who has the key to the gate so we still got to get into the cave. We spent about three hours playing here. The kids indulged in imaginative play while we sat and revelled in the silence they were happily destroying.

Cerocahui

One day we made the kids walk 12km from our lodge to Cerocahui in the hope of finding fun or a small restaurant. Asking around for a restaurant got us blank looks and confusion so we bought bread, cream cheese and an avocado and had a little picnic in the shade. It’s a tiny, tiny little place with truly nothing.

Urique with kids

From Bahuchivo we hired a driver to take us deep into the canyon to visit Urique. We choose to stay here for a couple of nights but it would be possible to visit as a day trip too. 

What to do in Urique with kids

There is a swimming pool complex on the edge of the village, the Urique River with banks that are explorable and a small square that kids can run on when the sun starts to set and the heat drops a little.

If I’m honest, we actually struggled to entertain the kids here. We’d assumed it would be a place to hang out like other places along the Copper Canyon route. We’d imagined tours being available but there aren’t. It really is a tiny village where people live and that’s it except at ultramarathon time. That said, I’m still glad we went. 

Everyone was very kind, particularly to the kids, we enjoyed strolling around and the kids were blown away by local kids riding quad-bikes and horses through the town.

🔆 Do note that in summer it is seriously hot, probably one of the hottest places I’ve ever been. I felt as if my shoes would melt every time we went outside.

→ Read more about visiting Urique

El Fuerte with kids

We ended our train ride in the pueblo magico El Fuerte as we had been told that it was a nicer location than Los Mochis. We certainly enjoyed ourselves. The kids loved the town’s plaza and spent hours running around it, hiding in the bushes and playing together while we collapsed on benches in the shade.

What to do in El Fuerte with kids

Tourist train

If you haven’t had enough of trains then there is a small tourist train that departs from the plaza. 

Fortress & Museum

The town boasts a fortress museum that entertained us all for an hour or so. It was sufficiently random that the kids were intrigued (view above was taken from the fortress).

Petrolgyph walk to Cerro de la Mascara & La Galera

La Galera: down by the river, there is a playground and a zipline course although we didn’t see the ziplines in action.

Cerro de la Mascara: across the river, there is a walk that can be done to the petroglyph site. We walked here but didn’t take enough water to spend long looking the petroglyphs as the kids were convinced they were going to die if we didn’t find them a drink. To get there we had to walk through a field covered in grasshoppers, which fascinated us all.

This is apparently one of the most important historical sites in northern Mexico but you’d never know it from the absolute lack of information!

Venedario del Fuerte

This is a reserve where you can interact with wild animals. I haven’t been so can’t comment on whether its a good place or not.

→ Read more about El Fuerte

Copper Canyon with kids: food

Kids can be fussy little fuckers, right? Mine certainly can. 

And you know what? They survived. 

They didn’t always love everything that was put in front of them but they ate it if they were hungry and they definitely had to put up with simply being handed a plate of food but they did fine.

Breakfast in the Copper Canyon – we ate a lot of eggs, which is totally normal for Mexican breakfasts. Sometimes kind hearted hotel owners would show up with a box of sugary cereal, much to my kids’ delight.

Lunch, snacks & street food in the Copper Canyon – there’s going to be a lot of meat in your diet, meat and tortillas. That’s just what there is available. You’ll also find rice, soups and fries. And in Creel, for sure there is pizza too.

And there you have it, an entirely kid-friendly guide to the Copper Canyon. Please don’t let having children put you off exploring this part of Mexico. We all relished the opportunity to be free, to see somewhere new, to practice new skills and meet new people. I promise this part of the world won’t disappoint.