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    Cusárare waterfall pouring over a rock ledge into the pine forest near Creel, Chihuahua

    Photo by Jens Uhlenbrock, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons

    Cascada de Cusárare

    Waterfall Guachochi, Chihuahua Municipality of Guachochi Copper Canyon

    A 30 m year-round waterfall in the pines 25 km from Creel, reached by a 2–3 km trail; fullest July to September, frozen in the coldest winters.

    From Cuauhtémoc: 2 h 45 min by car (177 km by road) How to get there ↓

    Near here

    See everything nearby ↓

    Plan your visit to Cascada de Cusárare

    Where to stay near Cascada de Cusárare

    sierra madre Hotel · 2.2 km from the center Prices
    Hotels in Creel Houses on Vrbo

    Tours to Cascada de Cusárare

    Day trips and guided outings from Creel often include Cascada de Cusárare; with a local guide you can get there without a car.

    Tours from Creel Copper Canyon ★ 4.7 (31) · From US$79
    Find tours on Viator GetYourGuide Tours from Creel

    How to get to Cascada de Cusárare

    • From Cuauhtémoc: about 2 h 45 min by road (~177 km)
    • 16 km south of Creel
    • Nearest airport: Chihuahua (CUU), 3 h 59 min by car to Creel
    Rent a car at CUU Flights to CUU

    Route, map and directions ↓

    Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.

    Tours from Creel, near Cascada de Cusárare

    Copper Canyon ★ 4.7 (31) 5–7 h From US$79
    Combined Tour ★ 4.7 (18) 5–6 h From US$80
    Tour to Barrancas del Cobre ★ 5.0 (9) 5–6 h From US$64
    Tour around Creel 1 with Valle de los Monjes ★ 5.0 (2) 3 h From US$35
    Batopilas Magic Town Tour ★ 5.0 (2) 2 days From US$373

    Tours, prices and ratings from Viator, checked weekly. We may earn a commission if you book.

    About Cascada de Cusárare

    The Cusárare waterfall is formed by the arroyo of the same name as it drops about 30 meters over a rock ledge in the pine forest of the Sierra Tarahumara. Although it is usually visited from Creel, it lies just across the line in the municipality of Guachochi, about 25 kilometers southeast of Creel along the road that heads south toward Guachochi. The fall is permanent, so there is always something to see, but its volume changes a great deal through the year.

    The best months are July to September, when the summer rains swell the arroyo and the water comes down in a wide, noisy curtain. In the dry months the flow thins out, and in hard winters the cold can stop it altogether: at the end of December 2018 local media published photos of the whole fall frozen solid in sub-zero temperatures. Whatever the season, the walk is part of the visit. The trail from the end of the road is 2 to 3 kilometers through the pine forest, and you can look at the fall both from its foot and from above.

    The Rarámuri community of Cusárare, about 2 kilometers from the falls, is worth combining with the hike. Its mission was founded by the Jesuits as a place of worship and a school, and next to the church is a small museum of colonial religious painting, the Museo Loyola, with oil paintings gathered from missions around the sierra. Since both lie just off the same road, the village and the falls fit easily into one half-day outing from Creel.

    How to get to Cascada de Cusárare

    Drive from Cuauhtémoc: 2 h 45 min, 177 km

    From Creel, take the road south toward Guachochi for about 25 km to Cusárare. From the end of the road a footpath of 2 to 3 km leads to the falls. Creel itself is reached by road from Chihuahua city (about 260 km, roughly 3.5 hours) or by the Chepe train.

    16 km south of Creel

    Directions from Creel on Google Maps

    Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.

    Best with a guide Tours to Cascada de Cusárare on Viator With transport and a guide, leaving from nearby towns and cities. See prices →

    Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.

    From the nearest cities to Cascada de Cusárare

    • Cuauhtémoc · 177 km by road, 2 h 45 min
    • Navojoa · about 250 km by road, ~3 h 45 min
    • Delicias · about 280 km by road, ~4 h 10 min

    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

    Before you go to Cascada de Cusárare: hours, prices and tips

    Entry
    40 pesos per person, paid at the parking lot; the entrance is run by the Rarámuri community and ejido of Cusárare. Creel Sierra Tarahumara (local operator, 2023) · checked Oct 2026
    Time needed
    Allow at least 2 hours: about 15 minutes of mostly flat trail to the lookout, then 280 steps down to the base and back up. Creel Sierra Tarahumara (local operator, 2023) · checked Oct 2026
    Best season
    Best in the second half of the year, when the rains swell the river and the falls turn into a thick white curtain. México Desconocido · checked Oct 2026
    Guide or tour
    You can walk it alone; local guides, often kids from the village, offer to lead you from the start of the dirt road. Many Creel tours also stop here. Tours: Viator GetYourGuide Creel Sierra Tarahumara (local operator, 2023) · checked Oct 2026
    What to bring
    Sturdy shoes, comfortable clothes, water, sunscreen and insect repellent; cash for the entry and the Rarámuri craft stalls. Creel Sierra Tarahumara (local operator, 2023) · checked Oct 2026

    Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.

    Visiting Cascada de Cusárare: what to see and do

    Walk the 2–3 km forest trail to the foot of the 30 m fall.
    Climb to the top of the fall for the view down the arroyo.
    Visit the old Jesuit mission church in Cusárare.
    See the colonial oil paintings of the Museo Loyola beside the church.
    Come in July–September to see the fall at full flow.

    Plan your trip

    Places to stay in Cascada de Cusárare

    sierra madre Hotel · 2.2 km from the center Find on Expedia
    See them all on Expedia Booking.com
    Vacation rentals on Vrbo Airbnb

    Tours & activities

    Day trips and guided outings from Creel often include Cascada de Cusárare; with a local guide you can get there without a car.

    Viator GetYourGuide

    Rental cars

    Pick up a car at CUU (Chihuahua): about 3 h 59 min by road to Creel, then 16 km more to Cascada de Cusárare, on your own schedule.

    EconomyBookings Discover Cars

    Flights

    The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Chihuahua (CUU), about 3 h 59 min by road from Creel, the base for Cascada de Cusárare.

    Kiwi.com

    Travel insurance

    If you plan on swimming and hiking at Cascada de Cusárare, check that your policy covers it: some plans leave adventure activities out.

    SafetyWing

    Mobile data

    Signal can drop away from Creel: download a map of the way to Cascada de Cusárare before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.

    Airalo

    Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you. Hotel names from OpenStreetMap.

    When to go to Cascada de Cusárare cool

    Cascada de Cusárare shares the climate of Creel, 16 km away. The best months to visit are April, May, September, and October.

    Waterfalls like Cascada de Cusárare run fullest in the rainiest months here (June, July, and August) and can thin out at the end of the dry season (April, May, and November).

    See the month-by-month climate of Creel

    Make Creel your base

    Railway platform and station building of Creel on a sunny day, Chihuahua cool
    Chihuahua Creel

    Cascada de Cusárare is an easy trip from Creel, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.

    Also close to

    Closest to Cascada de Cusárare

    All 6 towns and sights around Creel →

    Near Cascada de Cusárare

    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

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    Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.