Location

Good question. Let's start with the location of the Copper Canyon and go from there. The Copper Canyon  stretches across the Southwestern portion of the state of Chihuahua in Mexico.  See the map below for a good look at where the canyon is geographically.   Now, the old silver mining town of Batopilas is located at the very bottom of  Batopilas Canyon, just 500 meters above sea level. It is subtropical in nature and you'll find papaya, avocado and banana trees are prolific down there.

 

Batopilas is  reached by mainstream tourism via the switchback roads that come from Creel in the north or Parral de Hidalgo in the east. Although the actual road that leads to Batopilas has been paved, due to the way the road was blasted when it was widened,  there are many landslides that block the road periodically and some sections of the road are always filled with rubble and pot holes. Use caution if driving yourself down these roads. 

For 4×4 adventurers, one can also get to Batopilas via the back roads from El Fuerte, Sinaloa. From El Fuerte, Sinaloa, one can drive to Batopilas in about 8 hours, depending on speed and how many stops you take to gaze at the views. Do keep in mind that one needs 4×4 for this back road because there are some steep sections and there are no viable signs along the back roads at this time. The company working out of the mines of El Sauzal have added many new dirt roads to the area and they can be a bit of a labyrinth if you are not familiar with them. Motorcyclists usually take this road as it is more fun for them. 

**Be sure to check with the local authorities about the condition of the back roads and the security level before embarking on any back roads canyon crossing.

Not to worry fellow Adventure Seeker, as part of the administration of Leonel Hernandez, the mayor of Batopilas Municipality from 2011 to 2013, new 'back roads' have been built allowing one to ride through basically untouched areas of the canyon that were only reached by serious hiking before. One can see fantastic views as one rides along the new route from Samachique to Batopilas and/or Urique. That's right, now you can drive from Batopilas Canyon direct to Urique Canyon in only about 6 hours instead of going all the way around. Fantastic right?