Motorcycle Ride Planner · Routes · Mexico

Sierra Tarahumara Highway & Basaseachi Falls - MEX 16

Mexico · MEX 16

One of Mexico's greatest trans-sierra mountain crossings, linking Sonora across the high Sierra Madre Occidental to the vast apple orchards of Cuauhtémoc. Passes within miles of Cascada de Basaseachi, Mexico's second-highest waterfall (807 ft sheer drop into a forested canyon). Delivers hundreds of fast, sweeping mountain curves through dense ponderosa pine forests and dramatic rhyolite canyons. Road Quality: Generally well-paved two-lane highway with good friction, though winter frosts and summer rains cause occasional potholes and rockfall on blind turns. Safety & Military Checkpoints: SEDENA military checkpoints near the Sonora/Chihuahua state line and the Basaseachi junction; ride exclusively during daylight; watch for slow timber logging trucks on narrow climbing turns. Fuel Range: Pemex in Yécora, Basaseachi village, Tomóchic, and Cuauhtémoc; longest stretch without fuel is approximately 65 miles.

Sierra Tarahumara Highway & Basaseachi Falls - MEX 16 runs 175 miles between Yécora, Sonora and Cuauhtémoc, Chihuahua. We count about 780 corners along it, which is consistently bendy. Committed riding: real corners, real consequences.

Tank-bag quick reference

• StartYécora, Sonora28.3714, -108.9281
• High3,200 ft - 7,450 ftelevation range
• EndCuauhtémoc, Chihuahua28.4042, -106.8647

T-CLOCS before you go: tyres and wheels, controls and cables, lights and electrics, oil and fluids, chassis and stand.

More in Mexico

• El Espinazo del Diablo (Devil's Backbone) - MEX 40 Libre135 mi · 2150 corners
• Sierra de Miahuatlán & San José del Pacífico - MEX 175 South148 mi · 1950 corners
• Carretera Transpeninsular (Baja 1000 Highway) - MEX 11020 mi · 1850 corners
• Sierra Madre del Sur Pacific Descent - MEX 131158 mi · 1850 corners
• Sierra Juárez Alpine Ridge to Gulf Lowlands - MEX 175 North132 mi · 1650 corners
• Sierra Gorda Spine (Ruta de las Misiones) - MEX 120145 mi · 1450 corners

Questions riders ask

How long does Sierra Tarahumara Highway & Basaseachi Falls - MEX 16 take to ride?

About 175 miles. At an unhurried pace with stops that is roughly 5 hours of riding, longer if you are stopping for photographs.

Where does Sierra Tarahumara Highway & Basaseachi Falls - MEX 16 start and end?

It runs between Yécora, Sonora and Cuauhtémoc, Chihuahua. Either end works as a start; the route reads the same in both directions.

Is Sierra Tarahumara Highway & Basaseachi Falls - MEX 16 a twisty road?

We count about 780 corners across 175 miles, which is consistently bendy.

Is there a GPX file for Sierra Tarahumara Highway & Basaseachi Falls - MEX 16?

Yes. The GPX is free, there is no account, and the planner will build a route that includes this road alongside others nearby.

Where these numbers come from

Distances and corner counts come from the route's own geometry, not from ratings or votes. Nothing here is crowdsourced and nobody paid to appear.