The Copper Canyon, in Spanish Barranca del Cobre, is located all over the Sierra Madre Occidental Range in the state of Chihuahua, Mexico; nowadays, they are in what is north-western Mexico. It is one of the youngest geological formations, and casually, they are also the largest in the North American continent, alike the Grand Canyon of United States.
The landscape is a formation of many rivers, which born in the highest pine forests at 10,000 miles with gorgeous step-walled deep narrow valley s into the volcanic rocks of Sierra Madre Mountain Range, over 5,000 feet with giant cactus and tropical trees.
Due to the many watered thunder storms, the canyon country is always the perfect combination of colours, among greens, reds and yellows; mixed with the dense oaks in spring, and during autumn filled with wildflowers.
The Copper Canyon, covering almost 25,000 square miles, is mostly used by travellers to know the total canyon system; including:
The trips to the canyon are on board of the historic Chihuahua al Pacífico Railroad; also know as Chepe, which was originally designed to connect the Pacific Ocean with the central Mexican desert territory and Chihuahua.
Built in almost 90 years, it always has had an international vision and until now it is an engineering masterpiece. Nowadays, the train starts its way from the Pacific Ocean up into the splendorous Copper Canyon, crossing 39 bridges and 86 tunnels.
Besides, the Chepe makes possible the entry for tourists to the Copper Canyon passing through the area long inhabited by the Tarahumara Indians, who are small and shy natives, famous for their running ability. There is also some 50,000 Raramuri who lives in caves and other primitive dwellings.
The origin of these amazing canyons were formed about 30 to 40 millions of years ago, in the mid Tertiary Period, product of an intense volcanic activity, after the eruption of thousands of volcanoes. All these eruptions took place, the tons of lava and ashes formed what nowadays are many ranges of plateaus.
There was also found a seismological activity which creating fractures in the earth's crust, originated rivers flowing through the copper canyon and most of them, merged with the Gulf of Mexico, taking usually the same name of the canyon over which they cut through.
Copper Canyon’s biodiversity is very fame for its rich flora and fauna, in principally due to their two distinct climates, one dominating the mountains and the other on the plateaus and plains. As a big range, the climate is mostly varied, finding snowfall in the peaks; and subtropical temperatures in the valleys.
According to the climates, there is also found hundreds birds of rare species, including the military macaw and the eared trogon. Most of the Mexican animal life is found here, as same as famed mammals such as the black bear, the puma, the endangered Mexican wolf, etc.
The plant life is not an exception, in the Copper Canyon is easy to find several species of tropical and temperate plants that thrive in the region.