Larry Liese came by his love for the outdoors at an early age. Raised in Vermont, he spent much of his youth backpacking and hiking...more
Pinau is a naturalist and author of several books and numerous articles about the natural history of the Sonoran Desert region. Her works include The Field Guide to Desert Holes, A Guide to Southern Arizona Bird Nests and Eggs, Hummingbirds of the West, Raptors and Soaring Birds of the West, and she is a contributing author to The Natural History of the Sonoran Desert....more
To read about Copper Canyon and the birds in the area see our reading lists.
A trip for all birders --- from beginners to the “obsessed” advanced! Nature Treks & Passages tour includes the best of Copper Canyon sights, from a round-trip ride on the world-famous Copper Canyon train to birding in the high forest of the Sierra Madre to the highly scenic van ride down to and up from one of the deepest canyons of the Copper Canyon area.
Russet-crowned Motmots, Black-throated Magpie Jays, Flame-colored Tanagers, Mexican Parrotlets, five kinds of Hummingbirds, and four kinds of Trogons… all of these and others await you there.
See the bird list from the October 2008 trip.
Read the trip report from October 2008
Day 1 – We fly to Los Mochis in the mid afternoon. We’re met by taxis that drive us to our lodge in the charming Spanish Colonial town of El Fuerte, a trip of one and 1/2 hours. Our comfortable hotel, overlooking the Rio Fuerte, is located close to the center of 
town. All our breakfasts and some dinners will be taken at our hotel.
Day 2 – We spend the morning on a float trip, birding and watching the wildlife on the Rio Fuerte, the largest river in the state of Sinaloa and the water course into which most rivers of the Copper Canyon region flow. Frequently seen birds here include Bare-Throated Tiger-Heron, Russet-Crowned Motmot, Great Black Hawk, White-Fronted Parrot, and Rufous-Bellied Chachalaca. We’ll take a brief hike to a petroglyph site off the river. Later this day we’ll do more birding by the river or tour the new museum that is housed in the restored Spanish fort.
Day 3 –Breakfast at our lodge. After a short taxi ride to the train station, we board the famous Copper Canyon train that takes us from near sea level to 8,000 feet elevation. What a nice way to spend a relaxing day watching the scenery gradually change from lowland agricultural land up through thorn scrub, tropical deciduous forest, through the junipers and oaks, and finally topping out into the pines. Spectacular views! The train travels through 62 tunnels and 
over 11 bridges during our journey. Lunch on the train. We arrive in Creel, the hub city of the Copper Canyon area, by late afternoon. After stopping at a local grocery store for picnic supplies, we drive to the the Tarahumara nature preserve outside of Creel and check out the birds in the lake. Then on to our comfortable yet rustic lodge in Cusarare in the forest outside of Creel. The lodge has no electricity and uses wood stoves or fireplaces for heat, kerosene lanterns for light, flannel sheets, and abounds in old-fashioned charm. Although some people wish brighter lighting was available, most everyone says they enjoy these rustic differences. Dinner at our lodge.
Day 4 – After breakfast at our lodge, we take a short walk to the Cusarare waterfall, stopping to look for Eared Quetzals on the way. We then drive down the canyon to the remote town of Batopilas at 
1640 feet elevation. We’ll stop periodically to take note of the changes of the bioregions we pass through from alpine to tropical. On the way down and in the town of Batopilas it is very likely that we will see some Tarahumara men and women dressed in their traditional garments. Picnic lunch in the forest. We stay at a charming inn near the Batopilas River, arriving in the early evening. The inn has rooms centered around a beautiful courtyard and an alcove full of articles on the town’s history. Dinner on the porch of a very fine local cook.
Day 5 – After breakfast we spend the morning birding along the Batopilas River as we walk down the road to a beautiful mission 
church in Satevo locally called the “Lost Cathedral” built in the 1700s by the Franciscans. In the sub-tropical climate by the river we may find Tufted Flycatcher, Brown-Backed Solitaire, Scrub Euphonia, Ivory-Billed Woodcreeper, and Slate-Throated Redstart. Picnic lunch. Our van will return us to our inn in Batopilas. There will be time in the afternoon for walking around this town famous for its rich 19th-century silver strikes and Spanish Colonial architecture. Dinner at a local restaurant.
Day 6 – After breakfast bird along the river on the other side of town on what is called the Aqueduct Trail. This trail is part of the original Camino de Real, the famous route from Mexico City to Santa Fe, New Mexico. In the afternoon we’ll tour the ruins of Hacienda San Miguel, the compound of the large mining company that operated 
here between 1880 and 1920. Dinner at a local restaurant.
Day 7 – After breakfast we retrace our route back up to Cusarare, stopping occasionally to bird. Picnic lunch at an overlook of Batopilas Canyon. Dinner at our lodge in the forest outside of Creel.
Day 8 – After breakfast we may take a brief walk to bird in the forest and have time to shop in Creel for Tarahumara crafts. Later that morning we board the train back to El Fuerte. Lunch on the train. A waiting taxi takes us to our hotel in El Fuerte where we arrive in the evening for dinner.
Day 9 – After an early breakfast we take taxis back to the airport in Los Mochis and fly back home arriving by early afternoon.
Itinerary is subject to change, based on weather or other factors.
The price of this 9-day trip is $2749 based on double occupancy and a minimum of 6 people. The single supplement is $250. We will match you with a roommate of the same gender if you choose, but if this is not possible you will be charged the single supplement fee. The trip fee includes all ground transportation from Los Mochis, round-trip train ride, guides, all meals, entrance fees, tipping, and comfortable hotels. Also included is trip insurance covering emergency medical services and emergency medical evacuation. The following are not included: airfare to the starting place of the trip, alcoholic beverages, tips for the birding guides, and costs resulting from illness, injury, or emergency evacuation, program changes and delays beyond our control.
You may purchase your plane tickets through a travel agent or by calling Aeromexico at 800-237-6639. Aeromexico flies to Los Mochis from Tucson, Phoenix, and from Los Angeles.
To register for this tour, contact Debra Tranberg at info@naturetreks.net or call(781) 789-8127 for a registration packet. A deposit of $400 per person is required to reserve a spot on the trip. Full payment of the tour fee is due ninety days prior to the tour departure. Please send your check to Nature Treks and Passages,
P. O. Box 542, Bryantville, MA 02357. If you have any questions, please contact us at (781) 789-8127 or info@naturetreks.net.
Come back soon for our upcoming schedule.
A US passport valid six months beyond your anticipated date of return to the US is required. Those with foreign passports should contact the Embassy of Mexico for details.