short northern Mexico trip
 

I intend to purchase a bike within the next month or so. I live right on the Arizona, California, and Mexico border in Yuma, Arizona. I would like to ride my bike on long day trips into Mexico, and know that I will have to purchase trip insurance which is no problem in these parts! However, I keep hearing about certain passes/permits that one has to get when riding or driving into Mexico. My question is really how far I can legally go south before I need the document? I want to ride from Yuma to as far away as San Felipe, or Yuma to Rocky Point on a day run, and back that evening before dark. What paperwork, if any, would I need to have to do something as short as this?

You'll get a dozen or more different answers.

http://www.bajabound.com/before/permits/visa.asp

The word is that you won't need a tourist card for those 2 cities, for a short visit.

Thanks for the link, Lone Rider. I have to see where both Rocky Point and San Felipe fit into the "corridors" mentioned. I think I will stick to the closer border areas of San Luis and Mexicalli until I can figure out what I need. I guess a tourist card for around $20 is not going to break me, either!

By the way, if anyone is down this way, look me up. I live in Yuma, Arizona, and work in Calexico, California, Monday thru Friday. (Calexico is the US side of the Mexicali border crossing, and Yuma is on the US side of the San Luis Rio Colorado and the Algodones border crossings).

Copper Canyon is within easy riding distance from Yuma. Also there's some great riding in extreme Northern Baja: including, Canon de Guadelupe(southeast of Mexicali); camping in the Parque Nacional Sierra San Pedro Martir; and touring the wine country, South of Tecate.I frequently cross the border at Algodones, for trips into Baja. This avoids the chaos of Mexicali, or San Luis. Also, during the winter there's great desert riding in North Eastern Mexico around Monterey.

BMBaxter, thanks for the advice. I will definitely look into those places as soon as I order my bike! I frequently run down to Algodones on the way home from work to pick up a carton of cigarettes. (I park on the U.S. side and take the quick walk into the town) Algondones is a good alternative to San Luis or Mexicali to cross into Mexico for anyone traveling across the border, but it is closed from 10p.m. to 6 a.m. both ways, while Mexicali and San Luis are 24 hour ports of entry. The only downside this time of year at any of the border crossings is the amount of traffic generated by the so-called "snowbirds" (retired people "migrating" to this part of the US from Canada and the Northwest states of the US who are wishing to avoid the winters in their home towns). They come in droves and make for very dangerous motorcycling. Keep this in mind for anyone not familiar with this part of the US from November to April. For the true adventure seekers, from May to October, it is well into the triple digits in Faranheit with several weeks at 115*F or more during the day. I don't think I will even attempt a ride in the months of June, July, or August!!

If you just wander across at Douglas, AZ, there's a lot of great riding south to the Huachinera/Bavispe/Bacerac area that make nice overnight trips.

When I am confident enough, I will venture east as well. Thanks for the Douglas advice.

Just to add to this, you can cross this boarder without a permit, at least i did anyway. My paperwork wasn´t checked until i reached the checkpoint north of CasasGrandes, a few hundred kilometers away.