Copper Canyon, Mexico

This month’s featured photography comes from photographer Greg Vaughn. See more of Greg’s gorgeous imagery at www.GregVaughn.com

Copper Canyon near Barrancas, Chihuahua, Mexico

The most famous of a series of canyons in the Sierra Madre mountains of northwestern Mexico is Copper Canyon or Barranca del Cobre. We traveled here via the “Chepe” (Chihuahua Pacific)  railroad, which winds it’s way from the coastal plains at Los Mochis up through a series of canyons to Barrancas and Divisidero on the rim of Copper Canyon. This canyon system is larger and deeper than the Grand Canyon, and the views are truly spectacular. The photo above was taken from a trailside viewpoint not far from our hotel, Mansion Tarahumara, which is perched right on the rim of the canyon.

Alicia, a young Tarahumara girl at Copper Canyon

The barrancas (canyons) are also the home of the Tarahumara Indians, famed for their long distance running ability. Tarahumara men have been known to run for three days, and this is at 7,000 elevation and wearing the thin leather huaraches for shoes. At all the hotels, train stops and lookout points, Tarahumara women and children, dressed like this little girl, set out their weavings and baskets and other crafts to sell to the tourists.

Greg Vaughn is a photographer, writer, husband and father living in Eugene, Oregon, USA. As the sole or principal photographer for several guidebooks in the Compass American Guides series published by Fodor’s,
travel photography is a big part of his work. Check out his latest guidebook, Photographing Oregon, published by Graphie International as part of the PhotoTripUSA travel guide series. You can get it from your favorite local bookstore or online retailer, or order an autographed copy from his website www.GregVaughn.com.