Skywalk over Grand Canyon

I understand the skywalk is on the west end of the Grand Canyon. IS is worth the couple hour drive to go there, or is it not worth the effort?

Skywalk over Grand Canyon

Well, the last 15 miles of the road into that area is unpaved, so if you have a rental car, its a super bad idea to take there. And then the $ situation: 20 bucks to park, 50 or so to take the shuttle and food, 30 for the Skywalk itself and no cell phones or camera allowed on it. So as long as you know what u are into, then it may be worth it.

Skywalk over Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon Skywalk at Grand Canyon West has gotten mixed reviews, and yes, a lot of them are bad. If you%26#39;re thinking of a summer visit, I%26#39;d say no outright because that area is more of a true desert environment, which means BLOODY HOT!

The main things to keep in mind are that Grand Canyon West is NOT Grand Canyon National Park. It%26#39;s only been in development for about 15 years, so it has an ';unfinished'; look and feel to it. Many facilities there are still under constructions, so you%26#39;ll see things like cyclone fencing and porta-potties around. It%26#39;s located at a narrower, shallower part of the gorge than the National Park, so the views there, though still beautiful, are not as open and expansive. At GC West, the depth of the canyon is more striking. You can see the Colorado River more easily because the rim is not as high above sea level as it is at the park.

By the way, it took us about a 3 hour drive to get there from Vegas. The main access road into the complex is unpaved for about 15 miles, so driving a rental car on this road is not encouraged. We had a Suburban and were glad we did. There is a park and ride shuttle that you can use, and you need to make reservations for it.

The biggest ';caveat emptor'; is the price. You may have seen it advertised as $30/person, but that doesn%26#39;t factor in the Tribal Park Entrance Fee ($30), vehicle parking fee ($20) or the shuttle ($10/person), rim-top transfers inside the complex (another ~$25/person), and I think they%26#39;re charging something akin to an ';environmental impact fee'; too. Long story short, you should budget anywhere from $70-90/person to experience the Skywalk if you drive there yourself. Other activities like helicopter rides to the bottom and hummer tours will of course cost more.

If all that sounds like a bit of a hassle, it is.. you might have a better time taking part in a package tour out of Las Vegas such as a motorcoach or airplane tour. And you might have an even BETTER time if you decide to go to the South Rim.

Personally I thought the Skywalk was kind of trippy (even though it doesn%26#39;t look like the drawings circulated around on the internet), but everything around it (getting there, $$, lack of amenities at GC West) has left a bad taste in some peoples%26#39; mouths. I went there last year with some visitors and they enjoyed it, but they had been well-briefed on what to expect.

Do your homework before you commit.

Thanks for the information. I%26#39;m not sure how long this attraction is going to stay in business once the word gets out about the ';additional'; cost that are charged. For that kind of $ for 2 people, I have several other options I would rather pursue. Thanks again.

no dont do it in my opinion it a bit of a rip off !!! we went and you just end up paying out lots of money, its not as big or as cool as it looks, go into the canyon and take a helicopter ride instead you fly over it with some companies.