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Copper Canyon Packing List: What to Wear and Pack for El Chepe, Season by Season

A printable Copper Canyon packing list for each season, based on official climate normals for Creel and Los Mochis, plus what El Chepe lets you bring on board: luggage, cash, medicines and ID.

Last updated: September 18, 2026

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One trip, two climates

The Chepe Express climbs from Los Mochis, 15 m (49 ft) above sea level, to Creel, at 2,348 m (7,703 ft), in a single day. That is why packing for the Copper Canyon is unusual: on a winter trip you can leave a coast where afternoons average 26 to 28 °C (80 to 82 °F) and sleep in a town where the average low is below freezing.

Pack for layers, not for one temperature. Everything below is sorted by season, then by what the train allows.

The numbers behind the list

These are the official climate normals of Mexico's Servicio Meteorológico Nacional (SMN): the long-term monthly averages, shown here as the range across the months of each season.

Season	Creel average lows	Creel average highs	Los Mochis average highs	Rainy days a month in Creel
December to February	−5 to −4 °C (23 to 24 °F)	13 to 14 °C (55 to 58 °F)	26 to 28 °C (80 to 82 °F)	4 to 5
March to May	−4 to 2 °C (26 to 36 °F)	17 to 24 °C (62 to 74 °F)	30 to 36 °C (87 to 96 °F)	2
June to September	7 to 10 °C (45 to 50 °F)	23 to 26 °C (73 to 79 °F)	37 to 38 °C (99 to 101 °F)	9 to 21
October and November	−3 to 2 °C (27 to 35 °F)	18 to 21 °C (64 to 69 °F)	31 to 36 °C (88 to 97 °F)	4 to 5

Two things to keep in mind. The Creel figures come from a station that no longer operates and cover 1961–1990, while the Los Mochis figures cover 1991–2020; read them as the shape of the year, not as a forecast. For the week of your trip, check the live forecast on the SMN website before you close the suitcase. Month by month, with El Fuerte too, is in our best time to visit.

Pack for every season

Official photo ID in the same name as your train ticket. The operator will not let you board if the names do not match. For entering Mexico, check the State Department's Mexico page for what U.S. citizens need.
Mexican pesos in cash. Cards work in most of Creel now, but on board the train only cash is accepted and community entrance fees are cash only. The operator says the only ATMs on the route are in Los Mochis, El Fuerte and Creel.
Your own medicines, in your carry-on. The crew has a first-aid kit for wounds but is not allowed to give passengers any medication.
A warm layer you can reach on the train. Even in summer, Creel's average lows are 7 to 10 °C (45 to 50 °F).
Comfortable shoes with a good grip for viewpoints and trails; the marked trails at Divisadero run from about 40 minutes to about 3 hours.
A small daypack. In First and Executive class, suitcases go in a separate luggage car and there is only a small rack for hand luggage at the entrance of each car.

December to February

−5 to −4°Creel’s average lows, °C (23 to 24 °F)

26 to 28°Los Mochis’s average highs, °C (80 to 82 °F)

The same season, down the line: average lows and highs The dashed line is freezing, 0 °C (32 °F).

Creel2,348 m
4 to 5 rainy days a month
Creel, 2,348 m: average lows −5 to −4 °C (23 to 24 °F), average highs 13 to 14 °C (55 to 58 °F), 4 to 5 rainy days a month.
Chihuahua1,509 m
2 rainy days a month
Chihuahua, 1,509 m: average lows 3 to 5 °C (37 to 42 °F), average highs 19 to 22 °C (66 to 71 °F), 2 rainy days a month.
El Fuerte85 m
3 to 4 rainy days a month
El Fuerte, 85 m: average lows 8 to 9 °C (47 to 49 °F), average highs 28 to 29 °C (83 to 85 °F), 3 to 4 rainy days a month.
Los Mochis11 m
2 to 3 rainy days a month
Los Mochis, 11 m: average lows 12 to 13 °C (54 to 55 °F), average highs 26 to 28 °C (80 to 82 °F), 2 to 3 rainy days a month.

Monthly climate normals of Mexico’s Servicio Meteorológico Nacional, read September 16, 2026: Creel (station 8038, no longer operating, 1961–1990); Chihuahua (station 8040, 1991–2020); El Fuerte (station 25023, 1981–2010); Los Mochis (station 25116, 1991–2020). They show the shape of the year, not a forecast: for the week of your trip, check the SMN forecast.

Cold nights in the sierra, mild days on the coast.

A warm coat for Creel and Divisadero: average lows are −5 to −4 °C (23 to 24 °F).
A hat, gloves and a thermal base layer for mornings and evenings.
A fleece or sweater for daytime in the sierra, where highs average 13 to 14 °C (55 to 58 °F).
Light clothes for Los Mochis and El Fuerte.
Warm sleepwear, and ask your hotel about heating when you book.

March to May

−4 to 2°Creel’s average lows, °C (26 to 36 °F)

30 to 36°Los Mochis’s average highs, °C (87 to 96 °F)

The same season, down the line: average lows and highs The dashed line is freezing, 0 °C (32 °F).

Creel2,348 m
2 rainy days a month
Creel, 2,348 m: average lows −4 to 2 °C (26 to 36 °F), average highs 17 to 24 °C (62 to 74 °F), 2 rainy days a month.
Chihuahua1,509 m
2 to 3 rainy days a month
Chihuahua, 1,509 m: average lows 8 to 16 °C (47 to 60 °F), average highs 25 to 33 °C (77 to 92 °F), 2 to 3 rainy days a month.
El Fuerte85 m
1 rainy days a month
El Fuerte, 85 m: average lows 10 to 16 °C (51 to 61 °F), average highs 32 to 38 °C (89 to 100 °F), 1 rainy days a month.
Los Mochis11 m
0 to 1 rainy days a month
Los Mochis, 11 m: average lows 14 to 19 °C (57 to 66 °F), average highs 30 to 36 °C (87 to 96 °F), 0 to 1 rainy days a month.

The driest months, with freezing early mornings in the sierra early in the season and heat on the coast by May.

A warm jacket for March and early April nights in Creel.
Sun hat, sunglasses and sunscreen: in Creel it rains on about 2 days a month.
Light, breathable clothes for the coast, where May highs in Los Mochis average about 36 °C (96 °F).
A refillable water bottle.

June to September

7 to 10°Creel’s average lows, °C (45 to 50 °F)

37 to 38°Los Mochis’s average highs, °C (99 to 101 °F)

The same season, down the line: average lows and highs The dashed line is freezing, 0 °C (32 °F).

Creel2,348 m
9 to 21 rainy days a month
Creel, 2,348 m: average lows 7 to 10 °C (45 to 50 °F), average highs 23 to 26 °C (73 to 79 °F), 9 to 21 rainy days a month.
Chihuahua1,509 m
7 to 14 rainy days a month
Chihuahua, 1,509 m: average lows 17 to 20 °C (62 to 68 °F), average highs 30 to 35 °C (86 to 95 °F), 7 to 14 rainy days a month.
El Fuerte85 m
3 to 14 rainy days a month
El Fuerte, 85 m: average lows 22 to 24 °C (72 to 76 °F), average highs 37 to 40 °C (98 to 103 °F), 3 to 14 rainy days a month.
Los Mochis11 m
2 to 11 rainy days a month
Los Mochis, 11 m: average lows 24 to 26 °C (74 to 78 °F), average highs 37 to 38 °C (99 to 101 °F), 2 to 11 rainy days a month.

The rainy season, and the hottest months at sea level.

A rain jacket or a compact umbrella: July in Creel averages about 21 days with rain.
Quick-dry clothes and a spare pair of socks.
Shoes that handle mud on trails.
A light sweater for the evening in Creel.
Very light clothes for Los Mochis and El Fuerte, where highs average 37 to 40 °C (98 to 103 °F).

Remember that in May, June, August and September the Express runs only from Thursday to Sunday, so plan fewer train days.

October and November

−3 to 2°Creel’s average lows, °C (27 to 35 °F)

31 to 36°Los Mochis’s average highs, °C (88 to 97 °F)

The same season, down the line: average lows and highs The dashed line is freezing, 0 °C (32 °F).

Creel2,348 m
4 to 5 rainy days a month
Creel, 2,348 m: average lows −3 to 2 °C (27 to 35 °F), average highs 18 to 21 °C (64 to 69 °F), 4 to 5 rainy days a month.
Chihuahua1,509 m
3 to 4 rainy days a month
Chihuahua, 1,509 m: average lows 6 to 12 °C (44 to 53 °F), average highs 23 to 28 °C (73 to 82 °F), 3 to 4 rainy days a month.
El Fuerte85 m
2 rainy days a month
El Fuerte, 85 m: average lows 13 to 19 °C (55 to 67 °F), average highs 32 to 36 °C (90 to 97 °F), 2 rainy days a month.
Los Mochis11 m
3 rainy days a month
Los Mochis, 11 m: average lows 17 to 22 °C (62 to 72 °F), average highs 31 to 36 °C (88 to 97 °F), 3 rainy days a month.

Clear, mild days and cold nights again in the sierra.

A warm jacket for nights: Creel's average lows drop from about 2 °C (35 °F) in October to −3 °C (27 °F) in November.
A sweater or fleece for the day.
Light clothes for the coast, where highs still average 31 to 36 °C (88 to 97 °F).

What the train allows

Rule	What the operator says
Suitcases	One suitcase of up to 25 kg (55 lb) per person, plus one piece of hand luggage
Extra luggage	No fee, but excess luggage cannot board with you
Not allowed	Bicycles and motorcycles
Animals	Not allowed, except certified guide dogs with an authorization requested at least 15 days before the trip
Food	Not included in any ticket class
Payments on board	Cash only
Weather	The train runs in any weather, but may slow down in rain or snow

Health: altitude and medicines

Creel sits at 2,348 m (7,703 ft). The CDC's travel guide says any traveler who has not adjusted to altitude and sleeps at 2,450 m (8,000 ft) or higher is at risk of altitude illness, and sometimes lower; it also advises caution for people with reduced lung function. If you have a heart or lung condition, talk to your doctor before the trip, and carry all your medicines, since none are available on the train.

Printable checklist

Pick your season above and use Print this list: it prints that season's list and the items for every season on one page. If the button does not show, print this page: each season starts on its own sheet.

Frequently asked questions

How much luggage can I take on El Chepe?

One suitcase of up to 25 kg (55 lb) per person plus one piece of hand luggage. There is no fee for extra luggage, but anything over the limit cannot travel with you, and bicycles and motorcycles are not allowed.

Do I need cash on the train?

Yes. Only cash is accepted on board, and the operator says the only ATMs along the route are in Los Mochis, El Fuerte and Creel.

How cold does Creel get?

In December, January and February the average low at Creel's weather station is about −5 °C (23 °F), according to Mexico's official climate normals for 1961–1990. Pack a warm coat for any trip between November and March.

Climate figures: Servicio Meteorológico Nacional climate normals, read on September 16, 2026, for Creel, station 8038, 1961–1990, Los Mochis, station 25116, 1991–2020 and El Fuerte, station 25023, 1981–2010. Food not included in any class: operator's FAQ, first read on September 15, 2026 and re-read on September 16, 2026. Luggage, cash, ATMs, ID, medicines, guide dogs, food, luggage cars and weather rules checked on September 16, 2026 against the operator's FAQ; reduced months against its schedules; Divisadero trails against its Divisadero page. Altitude guidance: CDC Yellow Book 2026, High-Altitude Travel and Altitude Illness, read on September 16, 2026. Altitudes of Los Mochis and Creel stations: OpenStreetMap track with INEGI elevation data.

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