Grand Canyon News

Andy Warhol once said that everyone is famous for at least 15 minutes.  Pam Wasner of Phillips, Wisconsin will certainly be enjoying at least that much notoriety in the next few weeks as she and her husband Jim became the first customers to set bootie-covered foot on the American Southwest’s newest sensation, the Grand Canyon Skywalk.  They camped overnight to secure their place in line, and they were not alone. 

Yesterday was the official opening day of the long-awaited, much-hyped glass-bottomed walkway jutting 70 feet out from Eagle Point at the Grand Canyon’s Western rim on the Hualapai Indian Reservation.  Thousands of people journeyed to this remote corner of Northern Arizona to share the distinction of being among the first to walk on – or just look at – this innovative yet controversial attraction.  They came by car, bus, hummer, motorcycle, plane and helicopter.  The consensus?  It’s not cheap ($75 a pop)… it’s hard to get to (20 miles of washboard road to the Grand Canyon West complex)… it’s not quite finished (the publicized cafe and gift shop have yet to be built)… but all things considered, it’s a hit.  

Ms. Wasner stated that she “still had goosebumps” long after stepping off the horseshoe-shaped platform hanging high in the air above the Colorado River.  Her husband Jim likened the experience to walking on a pond when it first freezes and you can see fish swimming below you.  Even those who were a bit dubious at first were impressed.  Check out this video. 

It is hoped that the Grand Canyon Skywalk will generate much-needed revenue for the 2,000 member Hualapai Tribe, who have grappled with widespread poverty and unemployment for decades, especially after Route 66 was bypassed by Interstate 40 in the 1970’s.  Their visitor services complex, Grand Canyon West, has been in development since the early 1990’s and presently includes an airstrip and helipads, a small airport terminal with a cafe and gift shop, a barbecue/picnic area at Guano Point, a cowboy town, an Indian village, amphitheatre and stables.  Various Grand Canyon tour companies offer airplane, helicopter, Hummer and jeep tours to the area.  Most tours operate from Las Vegas due to its proximity to Grand Canyon West, but tours are also available from Phoenix, Flagstaff, Sedona and Lake Powell.  The Hualapai Tribe also offer the only one-day Grand Canyon white water rafting excursion from Peach Springs, Arizona. 

The Grand Canyon Skywalk is not everyone’s cup of tea.  Its detractors have called it everything from an “eco-travesty” to a “butt-ugly eyesore” to an “architectural abortion.”  Even some members of the tribe share those feelings, viewing the steel and glass contraption as a desecration of sacred land.  A commentor in response to an article about the Skywalk in the Arizona Republic stated “I will never go to the Grand Canyon because of it.”  Why???  The Grand Canyon Skywalk, as we have stated repeatedly, is NOT located at Grand Canyon National Park.  If you visit Grand Canyon South Rim or North Rim, you won’t see the Skywalk.  You won’t be anywhere near it.  Grand Canyon West is situated on the Hualapai Indian Reservation and is therefore separate.  I would hate to see this poster deprive him/herself of the experience of visiting Grand Canyon National Park because of something they wouldn’t even see while they were there. 

As for us, we will always recommend that you go to Grand Canyon National Park if you possibly can, especially if it’s your first visit.  The South Rim in particular is still the “quintessential” Grand Canyon with vast, expansive views of the canyon and the Colorado River; the North Rim is “the connoisseur’s Grand Canyon,” offering a quieter, more “back-to-nature” experience.  If you go to the South Rim, you can still visit Grand Canyon West on our Colorado River Heli Adventure tour.  Or if you fly to Las Vegas, consider visiting Grand Canyon West on your way to Grand Canyon South Rim.  Remember, one of the main access roads is unpaved, and there is very little lodging in that immediate area.  But if you’re going to Las Vegas for a conference or convention, and you’re really squeezed for time for a Grand Canyon visit, Grand Canyon West is definitely an expedient and exciting alternative. 

‘til next time, Happy Skywalking! 

Alley Kaye

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