Basaseachi Falls, Mexico: How to Get There, the Viewpoints and When to Go

A single free fall of 246 m 807 ft into the Candameña canyon: the tallest waterfall in Mexico that runs all year, in a national park west of Chihuahua city and north of Creel.

Basaseachi (the park's legal name spells it Bassaseachic) is not on the Copper Canyon train line, so it takes a plan of its own: a long day by road from Chihuahua or Creel, a night in the village next to the park, or a guided day trip. This guide puts the drive times, the two ways into the park, the fee, the hours and the weather on one page, so you can decide which of those fits your trip.

If you would rather not drive, the Basaseachic Falls National Park Excursion on Civitatis picks you up at your hotel in Chihuahua city, with a guide in English and Spanish and the park entry included. Read what the tour includes before you book: the schedule is tight for the distance.

Most of the water comes from the El Durazno stream, joined by the Basaseachi and other creeks. It goes over the edge of the plateau into the Barranca de Candameña, a narrow, vertical and broken canyon up to 1,850 m 6,070 ft deep. Geologically, the canyon walls are mostly volcanic rock. Below the falls the water becomes the Candameña river, which crosses into Sonora as the Río Mayo and ends in the Gulf of California.

The park around the falls protects 5,803 hectares (about 14,340 acres) of pine and oak forest. The park lists 15 kinds of pine and 15 of oak, maples that turn color in the fall, and orchids, and in the warmer bottom of the canyon the forest gives way to low tropical woodland. Animals that live here include the puma, white-tailed deer, black bear, coati, raccoon and ringtail; among the birds are the thick-billed parrot, the military macaw and the mountain trogon. Several small plants grow on the edges of the pools at the base of the falls and nowhere else.

Mexico declared the area a national park on February 2, 1981. The village of Basaseachi sits just north of the falls. The Rarámuri name is translated in different ways (place of coyotes, place of the waterfall); we found no official explanation.

Some guides give the height as 247 m 810 ft or 256 m 840 ft; the official figure is 246 m 805 ft.

The train does not reach the park, so the last part is always by road. These are the road distances and driving times to the two parking areas, without stops and without border waits.

The two parking areas are 15 km 9 mi apart by road, about 20 minutes. From El Paso it is not a day trip: plan at least one night in Chihuahua city on the way.

By car from Chihuahua city

The road is Highway 16, west from Chihuahua through Cuauhtémoc, La Junta and Tomóchi to the junction of Las Estrellas. There you choose your entrance:

Both access roads are paved and have parking, so a regular car is fine. The park warns about potholes on the highway. There is a gas station on the road from the Las Estrellas junction toward the village; fill up before you leave Cuauhtémoc anyway. Our guide to driving to Copper Canyon covers the permit and insurance a U.S. car needs.

Cuauhtémoc is on the way, and a stop at the Mennonite communities of Cuauhtémoc fits on the drive out or back.

By car from Creel

From Creel the road goes north to San Juanito and then northwest on state roads that end at Las Estrellas. Coming this way you reach the turnoff to Rancho San Lorenzo before you get to the junction. It is a full day: about 5 hours 20 minutes of driving there and back, plus your time in the park. Our Creel guide lists the closer sights if you want a shorter day.

Chihuahua, Basaseachi and Creel in one trip

If you are driving from Chihuahua to Creel anyway, Basaseachi can sit in the middle. It adds about 150 km 93 mi, too much for one day if you want time at the falls, so sleep in Basaseachi village and continue to Creel the next morning.

Our Chihuahua to Creel guide compares the other ways of making that trip.

The Basaseachic Falls National Park Excursion on Civitatis is a guided day trip from Chihuahua city.

An honest note about the schedule: by our road numbers, Chihuahua city to the park is about 4 hours each way without stops, which already adds up to the 8 hours the listing gives for the whole day, before any time at the falls or lunch. Ask the operator, through Civitatis, how long you get in the park and what time you really get back before you book, and do not plan anything for that evening.

The park has stone-paved trails that are marked and signposted. The named ones are San Lorenzo, Basaseachi, La Ventana and El Plan–El Gigante, each with a viewpoint of the same name, plus three numbered viewpoints. Some viewpoints have railings and some are covered.

The hike to the bottom. Trails go down into the canyon to the pools at the base of the falls. We found no official length or time for that hike. Assume a steep descent, then the same climb back at altitude, and keep it for when you are fit, the trail is dry and you have several hours of daylight. The park's own advice: if you have high blood pressure or diabetes, or are not in good shape, do not try long explorations, and carry a walking stick and shoes that do not slip.

El Gigante is a huge rock formation on the west side of the park. The park allows rappelling in only three places, El Gigante, Rancho San Lorenzo and Cerro Bassaseachic, and rappelling and rock climbing need the corresponding permit; ask at the park before you bring gear.

Piedra Volada, the taller one

Piedra Volada is the tallest waterfall in Mexico, but it only runs in the rainy season.

If Piedra Volada is the reason for your trip, go between July and October, and ask in the village or at the park whether it is running and whether the dirt road is passable before you set out.

The falls have water all year, but the flow is far bigger in the rainy season. These are the official 1991–2020 climate normals of the two closest weather stations with records for that period: rain from Yepachic, 35 km 22 mi northwest of the park at 1,790 m 5,873 ft, and temperatures from Tejolocachi, at 1,920 m 6,299 ft on the plateau 83 km 52 mi to the east, the closest one with a temperature record.

Normals describe past averages, not the weather on your dates. The park reaches about 2,200 m 7,218 ft, higher than both stations, so expect the rim to be somewhat cooler.

What the numbers mean for a visit:

• July to September bring nearly two thirds of the year's rain and the strongest falls, with rain on most days in July. Start early, and keep off the trail to the bottom after heavy rain.
• October is the sweet spot for many travelers: the falls still carry the summer's water, the days are mild, and the forest starts to change color.
• November to March have nights below freezing. The water is lower, and January and February can bring snow to the forest.
• April and May are the driest months, usually with the least water in the falls, and warm days.

The park also publishes a calendar of what happens in the forest through the year:

For the rest of the Copper Canyon route, see our best time to visit Copper Canyon.

Entry fee. Visitors to Mexican national parks pay a federal fee per person per day. These are the 2026 amounts for Basaseachi:

Carry cash in pesos.

Hours. The park is open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., seven days a week. The San Lorenzo viewpoint stays open until 7:00 p.m., which makes it the place for late light on the falls.

Rules worth knowing:

• No pets or other domestic animals in the park.
• Enter and leave through the entrance booths, and stay on the established trails.
• Drive only on the existing roads and park in the marked areas.
• Camp only in the marked camping areas, without cutting or clearing plants.
• Fires only in the marked fire sites, never left alone, and put out completely.
• Take nothing: no plants, animals, rocks or fossils.

Contact. The park office lists the phone (614) 414 76 98, extension 19501 (from the U.S., dial +52 614 414 7698), and the email crecoder@conanp.gob.mx.

You can see the falls on a day trip, but a night nearby gives you the morning light and turns a hard day of driving into an easy one.

• Basaseachi village: small hotels, grocery stores and restaurants around the plaza. We found no Booking.com page for Basaseachi, so book directly or ask in Creel or Chihuahua.
• In the park: rustic cabins and three camping areas, with public restrooms. There are also restaurants and craft stalls in the visitor area.
• Las Estrellas: by the El Durazno river there are basic food services and a camping area.
• Creel or Chihuahua city: the easiest bases with the most hotels. See our where to stay in the Copper Canyon and things to do in Chihuahua.

Cell phone coverage in the area is limited. Download your maps and your bookings before you leave Cuauhtémoc or Creel.

Read the three government advisories below before you decide; they are the most current official view, and they change.

What that means in practice, if you decide to go:

• Travel by day. The park closes at 5:00 p.m. anyway; plan to be off the highway before dark.
• Consider the guided tour or a local guide instead of driving yourself, and take the main highway rather than shortcuts.
• Tell someone your plan and when you expect to be back. Cell coverage is limited, so do not count on your phone in the sierra.
• Check your insurance. Some policies limit cover where a government advises against travel; our guide to travel insurance for Mexico explains what to look for.

Our page on safety in the Copper Canyon goes through the advisories in more detail.

For the rest of the trip, our Copper Canyon packing list goes season by season.

More of Chihuahua beyond the train: our hub of trips off the railway, with the Samalayuca dunes, Paquimé and Mata Ortiz and Namúrachi canyon.