To be honest, I didn’t look down. Not at first. I edged out a few feet rather gingerly, keeping my gaze focused on the far side of the canyon wall. It didn’t help that there were bratty, snotty kids, bouncing playfully up and down on the glass around me, like they were on some kind of high-altitude trampoline. And the young woman happily lying stretched out on the glass up ahead, staring downwards into the canyon, gave me serious pause.
What the hell, I finally decided. I had come to Arizona looking for adventure. Wanting some thrills. So I looked down.
I was skywalking.
The Grand Canyon West Skywalk is a relatively new attraction, jutting out 4,000 feet above the Colorado River, owned and operated by the Hualapai Indian tribe. First open to the public in 2007, Skywalk is 120 miles south of Las Vegas, accessible by car, bus, and–thanks to the new airport terminal–helicopter and plane.
Or, it’s a 9-hour drive over from San Luis Obispo, following the well-worn Bakersfield-Barstow-Needles-Kingman autobahn. Be sure to gas up in Kingman, because the last 70 miles are through desolate, open countryside.
Skywalk is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., with the last tour shipping out at 5:45 p.m. In the summer time, believe me, best to go early and beat the Arizona heat.
If you drive, be prepared for adventure. The smooth, paved, two-lane road ends abruptly and you suddenly find yourself on a winding, dusty, gravel and dirt road. Be careful to avoid the occasional cow or the onslaught of oncoming traffic as you ascend upwards.
After about 30 minutes, you reach the summit and the road flattens out, becoming a mixture of pavement and pot holes. Someone said that it costs $1 million a mile to pave in Mojave County, so I don’t expect the road will be upgraded in the near future. Doesn’t really matter. It’s an adventure. Just keep repeating that.
Suddenly, after about two hours of open road from Kingman, clear signs of life appear up ahead. Helicopters landing and taking off. Buses rumbling by, crammed with tourists. Signs pointing towards the Visitors’ Center, which stands side by side with the small airport terminal (about the size of the San Luis Obispo County airport terminal).
A Work in Progress
Grand Canyon West is, to be fair, a work in progress. Central Coast readers would find the Hualapai way similar to how things work at Hearst Castle. You park your car, go inside the Visitors’ Center–housed in a temporary building–figure out which package you wish to purchase, buy something from the gift shop (good prices!), and wait to board a bus.
However, there is the rather delicate question of pricing. Skywalking isn’t cheap. There are deals to be had if you come down from Las Vegas as part of a tour, but if you just show up on your own, better bring that plastic with you.
Grand Canyon West offers three packages: Hualapai Legacy ($29.95), Legacy Silver ($41.95) and Legacy Gold ($70.95). Tack on about an extra $11 to each ticket for impact fees and energy surcharge.
Here’s the kicker: The first two packages don’t include Skywalk–unless you want to pay an additional $29.95. So, depending upon your interests that day, Skywalking is going to cost anywhere between $60 and $81 per person.
On the bus you go, hearing a mixture of international chatter among the other passengers. Skywalk seems to be drawing big with European and Asian tourists. The bus ride to Eagle Point, home of Skywalk, takes just a few minutes.
Eagle Point derives its name from the rock formation on the other side of the canyon, which does amazingly seem to resemble an eagle with spread wings.
The actual Skywalk structure is housed in a building still under construction. The rules are made very clear up front: Nothing is allowed to be brought out on to Skywalk. No cameras. No purses. No food. Nothing. All personal belongings must be stowed (no charge) into personal lockers. The Hualapai want nothing being accidentally dropped over the side, or scratching the glass.
Visitors go through an airport screening device just to be sure and then the line forms up the ramp. The wait that morning was about 15 minutes. As you get closer, you’re asked to slide paper shoes over your real ones, again to protect the sensitive glass.
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