How does one get to the Copper Canyons?

To international travelers, this means either opting for an all-included solution offered by our friend Doug "Diego" Rhodes, the El Paso shuttle, or organizing travel by themselves according to their personal plan.

To Mexican nationals, this means flying or using ground transport to get to one of the two Copper Canyon travel hubs, Chihuahua City or Los Mochis / El Fuerte.

The El Paso shuttle

This option is the easiest and consists of flying to El Paso, meeting Doug Rhodes and joining other Mas Locos in one of his vans that will drive you straight down to Rancho Del Oso, the site of the pre-race activities.

All details are here.

Traveling on your own

Whether you are solo or in a group, traveling to and in Mexico is safe and relatively easy. If you plan on coming down to the Canyons by yourself, you will need a flight, a train and a bus ride to get to your destination. Here's how to do it :

Travel Plan 1

Flying to El Paso (USA) or Ciudad Juarez (MEX) and taking a taxi to the Central de Autobuses in Juarez, from which you hop on the bus to Chihuahua city. There, you will board the El Chepe train down to Bahuichivo, where you will either catch a ride to Cerocahui to stay at Doug Rhodes' Rancho Del Oso, or a bus that rides all the way down to Urique, where the race is.

Of course if you fly into the USA, you will have to cross the border. That can be done on foot, with a public bus or with a taxi.

Travel Plan 2

Flying to Chihuahua city, then board the El Chepe train down to Bahuichivo, where you will either catch a ride to Cerocahui to stay at Doug Rhodes' Rancho Del Oso, or a bus that rides all the way down to Urique, where the race is.

Travel Plan 3

Flying down to Los Mochis, then board the El Chepe train up to Bahuichivo, where you will either catch a ride to Cerocahui to stay at Doug Rhodes' Rancho Del Oso, or a bus that rides all the way down to Urique, where the race is.

Other options

Traveling to the Copper Canyons, really, is getting on the El Chepe train to Bahuichivo. Any combination of flights and buses that will take you to the eastern starting point of the Chepe, Los Mochis, or to its western starting point, Chihuahua city, will do the trick.

Bus travel from
El Paso

There is excellent bus service from El Paso, Texas, to Cd. Chihuahua or Cd. Cuauhtemoc. Our preference is to stay in Cuauhtemoc which is a smaller, friendlier city, costs less, and one can board the train at a 8:30 AM, a much more decent hour than arriving at 5:00 AM or so at the Chihuahua station, plus the bus costs less than the train.

Limousines de Mexico 720 South Oregon Street, El Paso, TX 79901, 915) 542-4547  has departures direct to Cuauhtmoc (with a short stop in Chihuahua) at 9:45 AM and 8:45 PM, They also have one to Chihuahua at 10:45 AM but they do not use the main bus terminal (central camionera) and one needs a shuttle there to continue to Cuauhtemoc. The line has terminals and connections with in many U.S. Cities such as Denver, Los Angelos, and points in between.

Americanos,  1007 S Santa Fe St, El Paso, TX 79901, (915) 532-1748 has departures at 9:30 and 11:00 AM and 1:30 and 10:00 PM to the central camionera in Chihuahua. From there catch Rapidos Cuauhtemoc to Cuauhtemoc, an easy transfer but you may need pesos to pay.

Of the two lines, Americanos has the better buses with more leg room. Both charge about $33 to Cd. Cuauhtemoc with another $10 to Cuauhtemoc (note all prices are in U.S. dollars). With Americanos you can buy tickets and board at Greyhound bus stations as well but the clerks there tend to be more snooty and charge extra if you have more than one checked bag but with either the Americanos or Limousines you can check more than one bag free of charge. Also with Americanos there tends to be less hassle from Mexican Customs at the border crossing they use.

When you first cross into Mexico you need to go into immigration for your tourist permit so be sure and have your passport on your person and not in your checked luggage. The permit will cost about $25. Have a good trip!

For a lot of insightful information on traveling to and in the Copper Canyons, read Cabro Colorado’s Guide to the “Copper Canyon” Caballo Blanco Ultramarathon.