So you’re considering a family vacation in Mexico’s Copper Canyon, that’s great news! You’ll have such a fabulous time in northern Mexico. I can’t think of a better family vacation than somewhere outdoorsy where the kids can run and climb as well as learn valuable life skills.

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Exploring the Copper Canyon with kids is perfectly safe. Honestly. My kids were very young when we went (four and six), they were pretty unpredictable in their ability to hear or follow instructions and they’re 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 drinks 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.

Where And What Is The Copper Canyon?

The Copper Canyon (Spanish: Barrancas Del Cobre) is the world’s largest canyon range and it’s in the north of Mexico in the state of Chihuahua. People generally begin their trip to the Copper Canyon in Chihuahua City. Sadly, many don’t spend any time in the city itself, which I think is a shame as it’s a beautiful old city with plenty to see and do.

To read more about the city of Chihuahua, check out my guide to the city. We love Chihuahua and found it to be an incredibly child-friendly city.

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 about as close to zero as you can get.

Ask yourself these 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 and mother like me that the answer is an emphatic no to these questions. 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 into the deepest canyons, don’t stray too far from the generally visited areas and don’t buy drugs.

Is The Copper Canyon Safe for Kids?

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, well… a collection of very deep canyons. And in many places, there are no barriers between the path and the canyon.

📌 Additionally, many of the popular Copper Canyon activities, which I’ll talk about more 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. We were fine. I would just recommend having a similar conversation with your kids and planning your activities accordingly.

📌 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.

⭐️ Wherever you’re going in Mexico with kids, our packing list for Mexico with kids will come in handy.

We wanted a vacation where we could teach our kids about nature and about taking sensible risks. The Copper Canyon provided all we hoped for, and more.

If you want to know more about the kind of adventures families can have in Mexico, how about checking out cenotes around Merida? These are underground pools that are perfect for swimming and learning about personal safety limits. 

How to Travel The Copper Canyon with Kids

🛤 The primary way to explore the Copper Canyon is by train. This is one of the only remaining passenger trains in Mexico and it goes right through the Canyon, with stops in several towns along the way.

🛤 The El Chepe Express runs from Los Mochis to Creel, just outside of Chihuahua City.

🛤 For adults, part of the draw of taking this train is most certainly the views but let’s not pretend that the views mean anything to little kids. We chose not to force our kids to look at the views even though we reeeaaaallllly wanted to. We figured they’d resent it if we tried to force anything on them. Instead, we left them alone so that when they did want to see the views they were genuinely impressed.

🛤 My daughter, who was four at the time, told me one sunset we saw from the train was so beautiful it made her want to cry. I feel that that’s a win. She will probably look back on the train with fond memories rather than as something her mean old parents made her do.

Where to Stop Along The Copper Canyon With Kids?

We started in Chihuahua and ended in El Fuerte. You can go in whichever direction works best for you.

The stops along the Canyon that we chose included Creel, Urique, Bahuichivo, El Fuerte, and Divisadero. We enjoyed them all but Creel and El Fuerte definitely had the most activities for kids, though the Copper Canyon Adventure Park near Divisadero was a hit too. Bigger kids will love the activities at the Copper Canyon Adventure Park (in fact, now my kids are bigger they look back with sadness at all the amazing ziplines they were too small to enjoy in that park).

You’ll find more info on each of these towns, with recommended activities, below.

📌 Check out my guide on how to book a Copper Canyon trip for more info.

You could, of course, rent a car and drive, or take buses through the Copper Canyon, plenty do.

What Is There To Do In The Copper Canyon With Children?

Oooooh, soooo much, my friend. We would go as far as to say it was one of the best family trips we’ve ever taken.

For the purposes of this article, I shall write about locations as if you’re taking the train from Chihuahua City 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 is where the Chepe train begins and although the landscape isn’t quite as dramatic as other areas of the trip, Creel is a small town 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 and be a bit wild.

In town, our kids loved checking out the souvenir shops and playing with the local Tarahumara kids who found us as interesting as we found them. While foreign adults are of no interest to locals, foreign kids, as everywhere, obviously are. My kids spent plenty of time playing with kids who’d come in from the countryside with their parents. They ran around the plaza and used the stairs as a makeshift slide together.

Chapultepec and Parador Cristo Rey

Around Creel, we found two places to explore on our own: Chapultepec and Parador Cristo Rey.

Both of these locations are in the small hills around the 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.

In Chapultepec we showed our kids how to rock climb, we taught them to use a penknife and binoculars, we ‘tracked’ horses, followed paths and generally had a wild time running and playing.

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.

Lago Arareko

Lago Arareko is a large lake surrounded by rocks that are perfect for climbing. We originally made a short visit on an organized tour but loved it so much that we ended up hiring a taxi to come back a second day.

If you’re busy falling in love with the idea of the Copper Canyon then you’re smart. If you have limited time and still want to get some outdoor fun in Mexico under your belt, what about Tapalpa in Jalisco? We recently spent some time here and had an absolute blast climbing and exploring.  It makes a great place to visit from Guadalajara, which is another super kid-friendly city. 

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 (although I’d imagine less spectacular in the dry season). While we did love the waterfall, 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 little souvenir stalls all the way along. The view at the top of the waterfall completely silenced my kids. They’re four and six so I’m sure you know it’s hard to silence them 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.

Valle de Los Monjes

This is yet another valley where kids can explore, play, climb and yell to their hearts’ content. This valley used to be called Penis Valley until the prudish conquistadors arrived and changed the name. We took a taxi here and sat in the open-backed truck bit. The kids loved it.

Recowata Thermal Pools

These thermal pools are at the bottom of a steep valley. It is possible to get a car to the bottom but it has to be a sanctioned car as the roads are narrow and steep. 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.

Divisadero and The Copper Canyon Adventure Park

The second stop along the train route is a little more confusing. Basically, Divisadero and Posada Barrancas are two stops 15 minutes apart. The adventure park is between the two. There is one hotel at Divisadero and if you’re not staying there, you should be getting off at Posada Barrancas.

People come here for the dramatic views and the adventure park. Although the highlight of the park is the world’s second-longest zipline, there’s still plenty to do here with small kids. Honestly, we had an absolute blast and would gladly return in a second. (We were hosted in the park by the Chihuahua Tourist Board, which is something I’m required to disclose here – makes no difference though, the place is absolutely incredible and would get a rave review from me even if we had paid full price for everything)

Copper Canyon Adventure Park

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. We also 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).

The park has a cable car that takes you out to a viewpoint in the middle of a canyon. We took the first car of the day and were the first people off it too so had a grand old time checking out the views before other people got involved. This was one of those places where we really did keep a tight hold of the kids though.

Specifically for kids in the park, there is a play area, a mini golf course, a climbing wall, a mini train,  and a small zipline. Slightly older kids can enjoy an aerial walkway in the forest and can even do tandem ziplines with an adult.

Our tiny ones also loved the glass walkway in the cafe, exploring the souvenir stands, the little kid zipline and just running around the forest.

This is definitely a place families won’t forget.

Two of my other favourite adventure spots in Mexico are Tapalpa and Comala. Have you heard of either?

Bahuichivo

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 making our kids walk and explore.

Mirador Cerro de Gallego

In Cerocahui we visited the Mirador Cerro de Gallego, which is a viewpoint overlooking the Urique Canyon. The views will take your breath away…and the kids will run around like crazy people. Running here was safe…mainly. The short walk we took along the road prior to getting there, we held them tight.

We also 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.

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.

Other than that, there are plenty of opportunities to walk. We walked a lot. 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. It’s a tiny, tiny little place with truly nothing.

Urique

We stayed in Urique and had a good time but it would be possible to visit as a day trip too.

There is a swimming pool complex on the edge of the village, a 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. 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.

El Fuerte

We ended our train ride here 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.

There is a small tourist train that departs from the plaza. The town boasts a fortress museum that entertained us all for an hour or so. It was sufficiently random that the kids were intrigued

Down by the river, there is a playground and a zipline course although we didn’t see the ziplines in action. 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. We’d never seen such big ones before.

Copper Canyon With Kids: Food

Yes. 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. The food was certainly more basic and less varied than in Merida where we live. They definitely had to put up with simply being handed a plate of food but they did fine.

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.

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