Overview

Hype:

A beautiful and deep canyon with numerous dark, cavern-like sections and fun waterfall rappels, having many fun jumps and one really great slide. The narrows section takes many hours to go through. This canyon is frequently done in its entirety, with leaving a shuttle car at the Puente de Dios tourist attraction at the bottom.

Canyon Rating: 3C

Time:

Fees: Permit required

Recommended Ages:

	0-3
	4-11
	12-19
	20-49
	50-69
	70+

Recommended Months to Visit:

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Links: https://ropewiki.com/La_Barranca

Getting There

Navigate to 21.136955, -99.629545.

Location

Closest City or Region: Queretaro, Mexico

Coordinates: 21.150149, -99.639348

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June 11, 2023 Trip Report

By Jeremy Dye

Trip Members

Jeremy Dye, Luke Galyan, Tracy Kwan, Ryan Hone, Napo Acuna,

Story

On day 4 of my Mexico trip, we did La Barranca Canyon. The approach hike was awesome because we hiked on footpaths that went between two properties. The property lines had rock walls that must have taken years to build, and we hiked right between them.  It was very scenic. We suited up in our wetsuits then proceeded down canyon. This canyon had some big rappels at the beginning but still had some jumps and slides.

At one point in the canyon, a rattlesnake was sitting on a rock right next to where we needed to pass. I got within a foot or two of it before noticing it. We couldn't find any sticks or anything to use to flick it out of the way, but Tom found a way to climb up and over the constriction so we were able to go around the snake without disturbing it. 

Near the bottom of the canyon, we left the watercourse and hiked along a trail instead. It followed a water pipe carrying water from the river to a community. 

The trail gained a lot of elevation, but it was faster than walking on river cobbles. The trail dropped us back in the watercourse at Puente de Dios (Bridge of God), which is a natural bridge over the river. 

Puente de Dios is a tourist attraction. Not only is it incredible beautiful, but there are half a dozen waterfalls pouring down through the natural bridge through vertical tunnels. We soaked in the water and took a bunch of pictures and took showers under the waterfalls. 

Then we hiked down the trail to the parking area. When we got out, we got reprimanded for doing the canyon without the necessary permits. Whoops. We crammed into Napo's car for the first part of the shuttle, then several of us waited at a fork in the road while the drivers got the other vehicle and we all went back to the Airbnb.

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Pictures