Gates of Paradise Backpack Trips 

Treasure in the Sierra Madre

After 25 years exploration I now guide backpacking trips to 2 pristine hot springs in the solitary depths of Copper Canyon, perfect base camps for exploring this subtropical paradise.

Copper Canyon is as wild as the Grand Canyon was 120 years ago, with 1000s of miles of unmarked trails. It's deeper and totals three times the length of the Grand, comprising the world's largest  maze.  Only a few Tarahumara Indians -featured in the bestselling Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen- and hardy backpackers walk into the depths. Since 1984,  I've explored about 70 of the 750 miles of big canyon, including this part with hot springs, orange groves and waterfalls.

The season is November-March. It's too hot in the bottomlands the rest of the year. Since this service is just starting, you can pretty much choose the schedule. Full moons reflecting in the canyon are spectacular!

Urique River from the Great Overlook

Upper hot springs; camp under boulder

Trip 1:  Upper hot springs, waterfalls and the big river below; 3 or more nights in the canyon. Some easy but exposed climbing without a pack to visit the waterfalls. We take a a 1 hr. bus from the hotel in Creel to the village of Arepo . We hike gently up for an hour, then gently down another hour out a long promontory, to the White Rocks. We stop for rest, food and photos before starting down the 120 steep  switchbacks. 2 hours later and a half mile lower we stop at a nice  spring and wash up. We pass a tiny settlement, descend some more and  arrive at the Upper Hot Springs an hour later. There are several little pools, from hot to lukewarm. We used to camp under the boulder in the photo, but now have a nicer sand campsite near the hot springs. The Great Overlook is a 10 minute hike. The next day we might just do the 40 minute hike to the waterfalls.or also descend the last 500' to swim in the river.and visit Tarahumara Indians. We walk as high as 7800' elevation and camp at 3500'. The last day is the hardest:  4300' back up the way we came -but without the food weight.

Top of waterfalls from Flying Saucer Rock

Getting to the waterfalls and river requires some easy climbing, so make sure you can do what's in this video. You won't need to do it with a pack for Trip 1.

These are not the commercial Recowata or Basirecota hot springs near the plateau town of Creel. These are far deeper in,, far wilder and more spectacular. A mule train passes the Upper Springs a few times a week. I've never seen anyone at the Inner Springs. The bottom is the subtropical area closest to the Rockies.. The top has periodic snow in winter. Trip 2:

Inner Hot Springs

Alcove camp near the Inner Springs

Trip 2 starts with Trip 1, decends to the Rio Urique, then 2 miles upriver to the Arroyo and the Inner hot springs. Return the way we came. 5-10 nights in the canyon. Some easy but exposed climbing with a pack. After the rest day of Trip 1, we descend an hour another 500' past the waterfalls to the river. We hike up beaches and thru boulder fields along the main river  for 3 hours, crossing the river with packs on our heads once. There's some easy climbing -see video below. A bit more easy climbing up the Arroyo gets us to the Inner Hot Springs. We'll camp in the Alcove in the photo and/or tent by the springs 100 yards from there. The one large spring is up to 5' deep, the temperature controlled by allowing stream water in. We can hike about 45 minutes up the falls and pools of the Arroyo until cliffs stop us. We can dive in the big river and sun on the beach. We can also hike up to several overlooks 400' above the springs, or take a trip to gather oranges. We return to the Upper Hot Springs, probably spend another rest day there or visiting the Tarahumara, then head back up the way we came.

Tarahumara ("Lightfoot") Girl

There is more easy climbing to get to the Inner hot springs, so watch this clip. I can carry your pack if necessary :

"Despite getting hold of the topo maps of Copper Canyon and a guidebook (from the mid-90s) I was unsuccessful in my attempt to hike down to the canyon bottom. By great fortune I met Evan in Creel during one of his resupply trips. He guided me to the river at the bottom of the canyon, as well as bringing me to a fantastic campsite at a hot spring, and to some beautiful overlooks and a series of waterfalls. I hope to return and see the other hot springs he described." -Tom Turnbull

Cost:

Many will want to fly to Los Mochis and take the famous Copper Canyon Railway (Called the best mountain railroad in the world) to Creel, where we can meet. (Or fly to Chihuahua and take the bus to Creel -this part's not so spectacular by train..) If you do this, my guide fee for groups up to 5 is  the standard $100 per day. 

If I escort you from the Denver area, total costs are less than $450 per person  for 3 or 4 nights (I prefer 4)  in the canyon: About $200 roundtrip busfare from Denver; $35 for 2 nights lodging (2 meals/day included!); $35 for food (bring your own backpacking food, except by special arrangement); $175 for my expenses and guide fee -assuming 4 people. $25 each additional night-again for trips of  4. If you find 3 others to come, you come at cost: $250-275 from Denver. I can't bring groups of more than 5 because there's just no more flat space for camping near the springs.  A $175 deposit holds your spot. Please call for availability: 303-440-6838

     Transportation:

We can travel together from Denver (I live in Boulder) or we can meet in Creel, an hour by bus from the trailhead. Two practical ways from Denver:

1. Bus: About 24 hours and $100 each way. Several Mexican lines (all better, faster and cheaper than Greyhound) leave Denver at 7PM. I prefer Autobuses Los Paisanos.  This a "low-carbon" trip!

2. Your vehicle: About 18 hours and 1100 miles each way. U.S. insurance isn't valid in Mexico, so you must buy it, available online; about $75 for 2 weeks. At the border, you must give them a credit card number or a large deposit. They expect you to bring the same vehicle back or they'll tax you 100% of its value.

With no direct flights from Denver to Chihuahua, commercial planes aren't practical from here.

     Accomodations & Weather

Margarita's Guest House is right on the plaza 1 block from the bus and train stations in Creel. Private rooms are $35 for 2; dormitory is $8-10; Both include family-style breakfast and dinner! I can meet you here. We spend a night here on arrival and another before departing Creel. Otherwise these are camping trips.

December-Feb.there's occassional snow up on the plateau areas, but the bottom, some 4,800' below, is warm enough for oranges and bananas! So you need winter clothes to travel in that we leave at Margaritas, taking light but rainproof clothes down in the canyon. You can check the weather in Urique, the bottomland town some 25 miles downstream. It's generally 5-10 degrees warmer in Urique than at the hot springs,

Video from overlook 5 minutes from Upper hot springs:

Video of waterfalls 45 minutes from Upper hot springs

Slide shows from 2009 and 2007 trips (click speech balloon icon lower left of each for captions)

Warnings & Reassurances:

These trips are not for anyone who's overweight or weak in the knees, ankles, or hips, or  afraid of heights or Mexico.  Mexico is mostly safer and less violent than the U.S., because handguns are illegal and it's a Catholic country under the protection of the Virgin of Guadelupe! Speaking some Spanish will make the trip more fun. 

Documents required by the U.S. to re-enter are described here. You now need a passport, or a photo ID plus proof of U.S. Citizenship, such as a birth certificate. Some military and Native American ID will work.

 For safety reasons, I won't take you if your pack totals more than 45 pounds including food and 2 liters of water. Because the trails are small and fragile, I won't take you if YOU weigh more than 200 pounds. You must bring hiking or ski poles: this will save your knees when carrying a full pack down the 120 switchbacks the first day, if it's wet and slippery, and will help you get back up the last day. Thermarest-type air mattresses will probably be punctured by thorns if carried unprotected.

I'm just the guide. I will cook with you but not for you. Except for the hot springs, don't expect luxury! There is sometimes mule or goat shit around the camping areas, and it's rocky and sandy. There a few flies, so I bring some herbal repellent. Scorpions are around but not common.



Older photos, about me and other trips

. My older Copper Canyon photos are here and here.  You can learn a bit about me.

For the Copper Canyon Ultramarathon Race or custom trips, go with my friend Caballo Blanco. For mountain biking go with Arturo. Get Tarahumara-style sandals here

Video of Inner hot springs

Video of waterfalls with circling vultures

Video of "cathedral" 45 minutes above Inner hot springs