Grand Canyon Skywalk

Last summer I visited the Grand Canyon for the first time. I wanted to do something unique while visiting, so I chose to visit Grand Canyon west and took a walk on the Glass Bridge at the Grand Canyon Skywalk.

The history isn't a long one. The Skywalk has been functioning since March of 2007. Commissioned by the Hualapai Indian tribe, the Grand Canyon Skywalk sits high above the Colorado river on the edge of the Grand Canyon. The glass walkway is horseshoe shaped and juts out 66 feet into the canyon hanging 3,600 feet high, higher than some of tallest skyscrapers in the world: Sears Tower, Empire State Building, Sydney Tower, and the Bank of China.

The walls and floor of the bridge are all made of glass, thus allowing you to look straight down into the canyon. Capacity is limited to 120 persons, so there's little time to dawdle on the bridge or sit and enjoy the view for more than ten minutes. Extremely fashionable booties are given to every person to wear while they walk over the bridge so they don't fall and to lessen scratches on the glass.  The bridge can withstand 100 mile per hour winds and a magnitude 8 earthquake. 

The Hualapai Indian tribe has even bigger plans for the Grand Canyon West. Besides the Glass Bridge, they currently offer helicopter tours over the canyon, horseback rides on the Hualapai ranch, whitewater rafting, and a Hummer adventure.  Future endeavors include a museum, VIP lounge, movie theatre, and several restaurants.  The Skywalk is the cornerstone of a much larger plan for a 9,000 acre development including hotels, restaraunts, and a golf course.

Although the Grand Canyon West, home to the Glass Bridge, doesn't give visitors a view of the main canyon, Granite Gorge, there are special sites in this area not to be missed. Guano Point, constructed in 1958, is the old home to the Bat Cave guano mine. What still stands is the ghost of an old elaborate tramway and cable car to farm the rich cave of its vast amountf os guano.  In 1975, the abandoned mine became a part of the Grand Canyon National Park.  It was later proposed to remove the tramway remnants from the park, but a public protest against the demolition of these historic sites saved them from destruction.

The Grand Canyon Skywalk has been under lots of controversy.  Opponents within the tribe see the Glass Bridge and future plans as a disturbance on sacred ground.  Complaints from visitors include over pricing and over managing.  Minimum pricing to walk the sky walk is $30.  This includes a short walk across the bridge.  Cameras aren't allowed in order to lessen scratches on the bridge, so a Hualapai member takes your photographs which you can later purchase for a high price.

One great pitfall of Grand Canyon West is the terrible 15 + mile drive to get to the parking area.  Rocks and uneven ground make it a very difficult and long drive.  It took me an hour and a half to drive this short distance, and the entire time I was praying not to get a flat tire.  Do yourself a favor, park in a lot and catch yourself a busride to Grand Canyon West.

Despite controversy, a long bumpy road, and high prices, if you've got the time and money to visit the Glass Bridge, DO IT!  Although my legs were shakey when I first stepped over the canyon, looking straight down at your feet hovering over the Grand Canyon is a memory worth having.  It's something to be done once.