This fantastic lodge is in a beautiful location a short drive from the train station in Bahuichivo, Chihuahua (NOT San Luis Potosi). Clean, comfortable rooms, great food, and rustic accommodations await its lucky guests. By rustic I mean wood stoves for heat, no TV, and oil lamps (should the electricity go off). These were all a "plus" for me and added to the experience of being in the Sierra Madre. Birding, wild flowers, horse-back riding, and hiking are just outside your door. Your hosts, Doug and Ana, treat you like family. Be sure to ask them about the children they sponsor at a primary school in the nearby village of Cerocahui.

Staying with Doug and Ana and their staff is like staying with your family, but better. Very warm and friendly environment in a beautiful location. Yes, it is a distance from the train station, but hey, that is why you came to the Copper Canyon area to begin with, isn't it? The rooms are clean and comfortable. The nights are super quiet, except for one instance when a dog decided to bark in the middle of the night for awhile. Doug is a great host and is extremely involved with the surrounding communities, and it shows as it is difficult for him to drive down the road without encountering friends along the way. This was a great place to stay to explore Cerocahui and Urique.

This ranch is an excellent base for exploring the Copper Canyon. It is run by Doug, an American, and his Mexican wife. The rooms are very spartan, and have wood-burning stoves. The logs are placed by your door at bedtime. There is a nice patio garden with hammacks that is ideal for hanging out and reading and admiring the wall of mountains just over your head. The hotel gets its name from a part of the cliff that looks like a profile of Yogi Bear. The saddlestock is excellent, but ask what the best trails are. We rode up a very steep and rocky mountain trail, and the horses kept stumbling and there was nowhere to gallop. Doug and his associates will take you out on all kinds of tours and activities, and he does really good dinners. His peach cobbler, baked in an iron pot over an open fire, was memorable. Here are the drawbacks, though: the ranch is frequently over-run by large tour groups; it is remote (they pick you up at the train stop), so if you don't want to be dependent on Doug for transportation, best to bring your own wheels. We paid $160/night for a double, which I though was steep given how basic the rooms are, but nonetheless, I highly recommend it. It's a warm, family-oriented outfit that is benefitting the whole community.