Copper Canyon

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Copper Canyon
Enlarge
The Copper Canyon

The Copper Canyon (Spanish: Barranca del Cobre) is a canyon system in the Sierra Tarahumara in the southwestern part of the state of Chihuahua in Mexico. This canyon system is larger and deeper than the Grand Canyon in the neighbouring United States, although the Grand Canyon is larger overall than any of the individual canyons of the Copper Canyon system.

The system is transversed by the Chihuahua al Pacífico railroad, known by the nickname "Chepe." It is both an important transportation system for locals and a draw for tourists.

There are actually six separate canyons in the Copper Canyon system, each of which is spectacular in its own right. Mexico established the Parque Nacional Barranca del Cobre (Copper Canyon National Park) to showcase this remote but beautiful area.

The canyon is the traditional home of the indigenous Raramuri (Tarahumara) people.

[edit] Cities and towns

Among the cities and towns located in or on the Copper Canyon are:

  • Creel, atop the canyon, a central point for commerce and, increasingly, for tourism.
  • Batopilas, a town on the Batopilas River at the bottom of a canyon; first established by the Spanish around 1632 to mine silver
  • Urique

[edit] External links


In other languages