A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit that sought to keep a northern Arizona tribe from severing its agreement with the developer of the Grand Canyon Skywalk.

Read the full article at AZCentral.com: Judge dismisses federal lawsuit over Skywalk.

About Grand Canyon Skyalk:

The Grand Canyon Skywalk is a partnership between the Hualapai tribe and entrepreneur David Jin of Las Vegas. The cantilevered steel and glass walkway that extends 8,000 feet above the canyon floor and 70 feet out from the rim is a $30 million attraction located approximately 120 miles east of Las Vegas, NV, and 72 miles northwest of Kingman, AZ. Attractions available at Grand Canyon West include The Indian Village with authentic dwellings, The Hualapai Market, and The Hualapai Ranch, a western town with horseback and wagon rides. Grand Canyon West is the only location throughout the entire Grand Canyon where visitors can access the river and water recreation activities at the bottom of the canyon via helicopter tours. Click here for nformation and how to purchase Grand Canyon Skywalk and other West Rim tours.

I will be traveling to Las Vegas for my nephew’s wedding in early August 2011. We would like to fly in early and stay at the Grand Canyon one or two nights and do the White Water rafting trip from the west rim down and the helicopter back up.

What is your recommendation on where we should fly in to?  Where is a good place to stay that would still have availability?  Is it better to stay at the South Rim and drive over to the West Rim?  We also still need to make flight & room reservations for Vegas.  I have looked at discounted flight/room packages on line.  Is there a way to get rooms in the Grand Canyon 1 or 2 nights and then Vegas the other nights?

We have never traveled to this area and would like to take in as much of the outdoors as possible.  Or as much as we can handle due to the heat in August!

 

Thanks for your help,
Lori L., Pensacola, FL

Hello Lori!

Thanks for your email.

I assume for the Las Vegas portion of your stay, you’ll either stay at or near the location of the wedding and will easily find Las Vegas accommodations that will suit your needs, has availability, etc. August is not the peak season in Las Vegas so you should have no trouble finding a room there.

You may need a total of 3 nights to really do this pre-wedding portion of your trip. This is big country out here… lots of driving, walking, and touring makes for quite action-packed, and thus tiring, long days. Depending on your arrival time (you’re smart to try to arrive early; from the east coast, you’ll be gaining time but still, flying cross-country can be tiring) you may want to spend one night in Phoenix or Scottsdale or Las Vegas, depending on which itinerary you choose, and rest up for the next few days of moderate-to-heavy driving, walking, rafting and touring.

Here are two ways to do this trip with handy links to options for hotels, tours and packages:

• Day/Night 1: Fly into Phoenix (one way). Stay overnight at one of the hotels near Phoenix Airport.
• Day 2/Night 2: Drive to the South Rim (4 hours.) See the South Rim and stay 1 night at one of these hotels near the South Rim.
• Day 3/Night 3: Drive to Peach Springs early (about 2 hours) and depart on the 1-day whitewater rafting. They’ll drive you back to Peach Springs. That night, stay at the Hualapai Lodge in Peach Springs.
• Day 4: Drive to Las Vegas (about 3 hours.)
• After the wedding and the Las Vegas portion of your trip, fly home from Las Vegas (one way.)

Or

• Day 1/Night 1: Fly into Las Vegas (round trip). Have some fun and stay the night in Las Vegas. I suggest you book a nice but budget-friendly hotel off the Las Vegas Strip for this quick overnight.
• Day 2/Night 2: Drive to Peach Springs, AZ very early (about 3 hours) for whitewater rafting all day. They’ll drive you back to Peach Springs. Stay at the Hualapai Lodge in Peach Springs.
• Day 3/Night 3: Drive yourselves to the South Rim (about 2 hours.) See the South Rim all day, stay in or near the South Rim that night.
• Day 4: Drive to Las Vegas (about 5 hours.)
• Fly the return round trip home from Las Vegas.

When you book your whitewater rafting through the Hualapai tribe (Hualapai Lodge and River Rafting Packages are available) do add on the Grand Canyon Skywalk. You might as well do it as long as you’re already paying for the rafting and other mandatory fees applied to being on Hualapai land.

The South Rim is the “real Grand Canyon” and will give you an unforgettable and different experience than the West Rim, with plenty of easy walking, light to moderate hiking, education, dining, etc. Staying overnight at the Rim may be very limited in availability if not sold out for your dates, but you should be able to find something Williams (about an hour south of the South Rim.)

You’ll probably book your Grand Canyon and Las Vegas stays separately, on two separate “packages”… e.g. your Las Vegas nights alone and then a Grand Canyon heli+rafting package through the Hualapai Tribe and/or a Grand Canyon South Rim flight+hotel package through a tour booking service such as Viator.com, AllGrandCanyonTours.com or AllLasVegasTours.com.

Enjoy your trip!
– ChristinaToo

Grand Canyon West Rim helicopter tours

This week, we have a two-part email that we received from a visitor to GrandCanyon.net, our newest guide toGrand Canyon tours. We thought it might be helpful to other readers looking for Grand Canyon tours from Scottsdale or Phoenix, whether to the West Rim or the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. If you still have questions, or have any other recommendations to add, please feel free to comment here.

Dear Arizona Travel: Hey! I plan to drive from Phoenix to the Grand Canyon (West Rim) and return to the Comfort Inn (at Kingman) for 1 night stay before heading to Las Vegas the following day. Noticed that most helicopter tours starts from Las Vegas, is there any helicopter tours that starts from Phoenix? If yes, do you think it makes more sense for us to start the helicopter tour right from Phoenix to Grand Canyon directly? and who are the tour companies offering that? Otherwise, is there any helicopter tour which you can take directly at the Grand Canyon (West Rim) itself? Appreciate your advice. Thank you.

Sophia – Germany

Hi, Sophia.

Unfortunately, the helicopter tours that start from Scottsdale/Phoenix go to the South Rim, the most popular of the three rims. Yes, you can take a helicopter when you get to Grand Canyon West. The Hualapai Indian Tribe will be happy to offer this additional tour/charge to the price of the West Rim admission package, starting at about $56 per person if you want to also walk on the Skywalk (the helicopter tour is about $129 additional for a 12-15 minute flight.)

Since you asked for my advice, I suggest driving to the South Rim instead and taking a 30 – 45 minute helicopter tour with a company like Maverick or Papillon. You’ll spend less money overall and get more for your money. Plus, the drive from Phoenix to the West Rim is a good 6 hours, 15 minutes… and that, coupled with the 2.5 hour drive back out to Kingman, adds up to nearly 9 hours of driving. Why not drive 4 hours to the South Rim, then stay overnight in Williams? Even if you keep your stay in Kingman, the 3 hour drive from the South Rim to Kingman is still a better way to break up the day and still have enough time to actually see and enjoy the Grand Canyon.

That’s my two cents… hope it helps you!

Take care,
Christina

Here is part two of Sophia’s question:

Dear Arizona Travel: Hey Christina, thank you for your prompt advice.

As we would also like to visit the Skywalk in the West Rim, can you recommend if there are any helicopter tours which also covers the Skywalk at the West Rim if we take the tour that departs directly from the South Rim? I have searched for a few tour companies such as Maverick or Papillon, however, the flight time is mainly 45 minutes and depart from South Rim, but does not touch on the Skywalk at West Rim at all. There are also some tour packages which covers road + boat + air tour but that takes too many hours and we may have time issue of driving back to Kingman late at night (FYI: Our accommodation at Comfort Inn is already booked and confirmed).

Would be great if you can recommend.

Warm Regards,
Sophia

Hi, Sophia. As you discovered, your West Rim / Skywalk + helicopter tour packages that start at the West Rim are limited to those provided by the Hualapai tribe at Grand Canyon West. There are no helicopter tours that begin at the South Rim and fly over / land at the West Rim to include the Skywalk.

So, you’ll drive yourself to the West Rim as planned. You should be able to get to the Grand Canyon West entrance (the Grand Canyon West airport) by early afternoon if you depart Scottsdale/Phoenix in the early morning (say, by 6 am.) Because you will have limited time at the Rim, definitely buy your package ahead of time and reserve your helicopter flight and time now. Go to www.grandcanyonwest.com or call 1-888-868-WEST(9378) or 928-769-2636 to make your reservation and buy directly from the Hualapai Tribe and choose the Legacy Silver Package (includes the Skywalk) and then on the right hand side, enter the number of tickets you need in the box next to the Flight of the Eagle helicopter tour.

Enjoy your trip, Sophia! Let us know how it goes and feel free to share pictures through email and/or on our Arizona Travel Facebook page!

– Christina

Okay, your turn folks… any other questions or suggestions to add?

Photo credit: JakesMomE on Flickr.com - CC BY 2.0

Dear Arizona Travel:
My children are ages 6, 14, 15 and 18. What tour(s) would be safe for all? What would you recommend? Thanks.
–Deborah H.

Dear Deborah,
Your kids are the perfect age for almost any tour. The only thing you probably wouldn’t be able to do is river rafting as I believe most companies require a child be at least 8 years old.

Where are you starting your trip from, Nevada or Arizona?

For your crew, I recommend the Grand Canyon Railway (www.thetrain.com) at the South Rim, any of the Grand Canyon helicopter tours or airplane tours (either from Las Vegas or the South Rim), a Jeep tour (there is a great one to the bottom of the Grand Canyon through Grand Canyon Jeeps Tours (www.grandcanyonjeeps.com) that also includes a stop at the fascinating Grand Canyon Caverns… it departs from the South Rim), or just some guided hiking at the South Rim. Try Canyon Dave’s (www.canyondave.com) for a really great educational tour that everyone will enjoy… it’s hiking and learning at the same time.

If you’re coming from Las Vegas, you might want to skip the South Rim and instead check out the West Rim (it’s a 3.5 hour drive versus a 5 hour drive) and take a walk out on the Grand Canyon Skywalk (www.grandcanyonskywalk.com). it’s the glass bridge that extends 70 feet out over the canyon rim and looks straight down through the glass 4,000 feet to the canyon floor below.

I always recommend trying to fit in one or two of the guided National Park ranger talks, too. They run almost all day for about an hour each, meet in several different spots at the South Rim and cover a range of different topics from wildlife to geology to art and history to astronomy. All are great and they’re completely free. Check out the Spring 2010 edition of The Guide – the National Park’s newspaper – for detailed times, descriptions and meeting places.

Hope that helps, Deborah! Have a great trip!

Photo by snowpeak on flickr.com/creativecommons

Coincidentally, we had two visitors email us at theCanyon.com this week asking how they could see the Grand Canyon and Monument Valley in one day trip. Hmm, okay, yes you can do that. But both these visitors specified that they’ll be starting their trips from Las Vegas, Nevada and wanted to see the West Rim and South Rim. Whoa. Ooookaaaaaaaaayyy.

Listen, we get it… people want to see two spectacular vistas in one day, especially since images of these two parks have become iconic representations of Arizona. But you have to understand that going Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon to Monument Valley and back will span no fewer than 900 miles and 19 hours of driving.

In this post, you’ll find two realistic itineraries, one a 3-day plan and the other a 4-day plan, that each originate in Las Vegas, include sights like Hoover Dam, West Rim, the Grand Canyon Skywalk, helicopter and boat rides, the South Rim, the Cameron Trading Post, Monument Valley and Flagstaff. Shwew!

But PS: Before we do that, it’s interesting to note a couple misconceptions featured or implied in the email questions. First, the West Rim is not actually a part of Grand Canyon National Park, It’s on Hualapai Reservation land. Second, Monument Valley is in Utah, not Arizona. It’s in the Four Corners area of the US where Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado intersect. Neither of these things is a big deal… we just want to be clear as a bell.

Okay, ready to learn how to go from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon to Monument Valley? Me, too! C’mon!

Dear Arizona Travel:

We are thinking of doing a daytrip and helicopter flight from our hotel in Las Vegas in February. We don’t mind if it is a long day including the coach journey, helicopter or plane flights (maybe boat too) etc. We would like to see the Hoover Dam, Lake Mead and West Rim of the Canyon. If possible would be great to see Monument Valley but I know that’s quite a long way from the Canyon. I was just wondering what trips you would recommend for that time of year and how much they would cost?

–Rob D., United Kingdom

Dear Arizona Travel:

Your website is really detailed, but I would like to ask your help. I am planning to visit the Grand Canyon this summer. This time I will take my kids too. I plan to drive from Las Vegas and want to see the West Rim, the Skywalk, to take trip on the river and to see the Monument Valley as well. Could you be so kind to recommend me a routeplan, and hotel if it is necessary?
I thank you for your kind assistance in advance.

–Gyorgy P., Budapest, Hungary

Las Vegas to the West Rim

Vacation plans that include the Grand Canyon West Rim, Hoover Dam and Lake Mead from Las Vegas are perfect.

For your coach/helicopter/boat tour of the Dam and the West Rim, there are several excellent choices.

First, Viator and LookTours and All Grand Canyon Tours (all the same company) are brokerage services offering dozens of these tour options that you can easily compare by price, customer rating, etc.  I would start there (viator.com and looktours.com and allgrandcanyontours.com) and see if you find a tour that fits your needs.

For example, their All American Grand Canyon Helicopter tour is extremely popular and priced at about $287 per person (currently on special.)  This tour combines a limo ride from hotel to airport, heli flight to the West Rim, landing down inside the canyon, a champagne picnic inside the canyon (which is great because the floor of the canyon is approximately 10 degrees warmer than the rim… good for February temps, which are still quite warm at an average high of 70 degrees and an average low of 42.) The only drawback to this tour is, I believe, you don’t have time to add a boat trip or walk on the Grand Canyon Skywalk.  You can find the All American Tour on our Grand Canyon tours page.

To get everything you’re looking for in a day trip, you may consider driving yourself. There is a company called U-Drive Tours that will rent you a high-clearance SUV, Jeep or Hummer and gives you everything you need to drive from Las Vegas over the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead to the West Rim. They include all entrance fees and tickets in the price of your package for a seamless day. You can upgrade your package with them to include a helicopter flight from the West Rim airport down into the canyon, a boat trip up the river, the flight back up to the rim and then you drive yourself home.  Meals are even included.  Tell ‘em Christina from theCanyon.com sent you… they will take very good care of you.

Here’s how to do it:

Day 1 – Depart Las Vegas for the West Rim.
Route:     South along US Highway 93 over Hoover Dam
Northeast on Pierce Ferry Rd (County Highway 25)
Take Pierce Ferry Rd north to Diamond Bar Rd (County Highway 261)
Go east on Diamond Bar Rd.
Arrive Grand Canyon West.
121 miles/195 kilometers – Time: 2 hrs 30 min

From here, we recommend you spend the night near the West Rim. You can either add an overnight stay through U-Drive Tours or book your stay at Grand Canyon West Ranch. Another option is to stay overnight in Kingman.

Day One, above, is the same whether you do a 4-day trip or cram it all into 3 days. Depending on how old and car-tolerant you and your kids are, you may want to continue on our 4-day itinerary:

Four Day Itinerary:

Day 1: Las Vegas to West Rim (stay overnight at the Grand Canyon West Ranch): 121 miles this day
Day 2: West Rim to South Rim (stay overnight in Tusayan on inside the park): 242 miles this day
Day 3: South Rim to Monument Valley and back to Flagstaff (stay overnight in Flagstaff): 178 + 174 miles = 352 miles this day
Day 4: Flagstaff to Las Vegas (stay overnight or fly out of Las Vegas): 242 miles this day

West Rim to South Rim

Here are the routes you’ll take:

Day 1 – (4 day trip) See above.

Day 2 – (4 day trip) West Rim to South Rim
Route:      Take Buck and Doe Road to Diamond Bar Rd (County Highway 261)
South on Stockton Hill Rd toward Kingman
At Kingman, take Interstate 40 East to Williams
At Williams, north on Highway 64/180 to South Entrance to the Grand Canyon South Rim (town of Tusayan)
Arrive Grand Canyon South Rim. Be sure to explore Grand Canyon Village, attend Ranger Talks (free), walk the Rim Trail, visit the Visitors Centers. Have lunch at the El Tovar hotel.
242 miles / 389 km – Time: 4 hours 35 minutes

South Rim to Monument Valley to Flagstaff

Day 3 – (4 day trip) Tusayan/South Rim for Monument Valley and then Flagstaff
Route:     From inside the Park, take Highway 64 East to Cameron (also known as Desert View Drive)
Be sure to stop at the various Grand Canyon overlooks along the 26 mile Desert View Drive!
At Cameron, take US Highway 89 North
Turn right on Navajo Trail /US Highway 160 East toward Kayenta
At Kayenta, turn left onto US Highway 163 North
Arrive Monument Valley Start Park (in Utah)
178 miles / 286 km – Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
Return approximately 172 miles (4 hours 20 minutes) to Flagstaff for overnight stay OR stay at the Cameron Trading Post Lodge halfway between Monument Valley and Flagstaff in Cameron on Highway 89 North.
Total: 352 miles / 566 km – Time: 8 hours 50 minutes

Flagstaff to Las Vegas

Day 4- (4 day trip) – Depart Flagstaff for Las Vegas
Route:     Take I-40 West
Take Highway 93 North to Las Vegas
242 miles / 406 km – Time: 4 hours

Three-Day Itinerary

For a 3 day trip of heavy driving and less time at the parks:
Day 1: Las Vegas to West Rim (stay overnight at the Grand Canyon West Ranch): 121 miles this day
Day 2: West Rim to Monument Valley and back to Cameron (stay overnight in Cameron): 372 + 172 miles = 544 miles this day
Day 3: Cameron to South Rim to Las Vegas (stay overnight or fly out of Las Vegas): 332 miles this day

Las Vegas to West Rim

Day 1 – (3 day trip) – Depart Las Vegas for the West Rim.
Route:     South along US Highway 93 over Hoover Dam
Northeast on Pierce Ferry Rd (County Highway 25)
Take Pierce Ferry Rd north to Diamond Bar Rd (County Highway 261)
Go east on Diamond Bar Rd.
Arrive Grand Canyon West.
121 miles/195 kilometers – Time: 2 hrs 30 min

West Rim to Monument Valley to Cameron

Day 2 – (3 day trip)  –     Depart Grand Canyon West Ranch for Monument Valley
Route:      Take Buck and Doe Road to Diamond Bar Rd (County Highway 261)
South on Stockton Hill Rd toward Kingman
At Kingman, take Interstate 40 East to Flagstaff
At Flagstaff, take US Highway 89 North
Turn right on Navajo Trail /US Highway 160 East toward Kayenta
At Kayenta, turn left onto US Highway 163 North to Monument Valley State Park (in Utah)
372 miles / 598 km – Time: 8 hours 30 minutes
Arrive Monument Valley
Return approximately 119 miles (3 hours) to Cameron for overnight stay
Total: 491 miles / 790 km – Time: 11 hours 30 minutes

Cameron to South Rim to Las Vegas

Day 3 – (3 day trip) – Depart Cameron and head south on Hwy 89
Route:    Turn right on Highway 64 (Desert View Drive) into the East Entrance to the Grand Canyon South Rim
Be sure to stop at the various Grand Canyon overlooks along the 26 mile Desert View Drive
Explore Grand Canyon Village at the South Rim.  Attend Ranger Talks (free), walk the Rim Trail, visit the Visitors Centers. Have lunch at the El Tovar hotel.
Depart the South Rim on Highway 64 / Highway 180 toward Williams
At Williams, take I-40 West
Take Highway 93 North to Las Vegas
332 miles / 534 km – Time: 7 hours

or…Cameron to Las Vegas

Day 3 Option (3 day trip…skip the South Rim) – Depart Cameron for Las Vegas
Route:     Take Highway 89 South to Flagstaff
At Flagstaff, take I-40 West
Take Highway 93 North to Las Vegas
242 miles / 406 km – Time: 4 hours

There you have it. Hope these tips and sample itineraries help you readers, too.

We got an email from a visitor to theCanyon.com, our Grand Canyon tours and hotels guide, today that totally struck a chord with me. I think Diana’s question is really common and who better to answer than another mom? Check it out and see if it will help you with your Grand Canyon vacation plans.

Dear Arizona Travel:

My fiance and I are getting married in Vegas in July 2010. From Vegas we want to visit the Grand Canyon. We only plan on spending 1 day there and we will have 3 small children with us. What is better? the North, South, or West Rim? Would you suggest renting a car and driving from Vegas or taking a tour? I am totally lost at what to do. Any and all help is appreciated. Thank you so much!
–Diana R

Read on for my answer:

Hi, Diana.  Best wishes on your upcoming marriage and congratulations to your fiance!

I am assuming you want to drive yourselves and are not considering taking a helicopter or air tour from Las Vegas to the South Rim.  If you hadn’t thought of flying, you might.  It’s a great way to minimize car-trip boredom, and get your tour and transportation in one.  It’s also the most time-efficient, as you can do one of these tours in half a day instead of a full day.

If you want to drive, start out early to maximize your time and the canyon and beat the heat.  As to where to go and what to do:

From Las Vegas, the West Rim is closest – only about 121 miles (2 hours) versus 278 (4.5 hours) to the South Rim.  The North Rim, while amazing and a great choice, is a longer drive-time from Las Vegas (only 282 miles, but over 5 hours) and with 3 small kids in the car, might prove to be just too long a trip.

The West Rim is where you’ll find the Grand Canyon Skywalk and several other Native American cultural sites.  While the Skywalk offers a unique view of the Canyon (a glass bottom sidewalk that juts out over the edge of the canyon, allowing you to look straight down) it might not be the most kid-friendly activity and while there are several small educational exhibits out there, too, the Skywalk is really the main attraction.  Also, Grand Canyon West is not actually a part of the National Park; it is on Hualapai Tribal land, so if you are going for a more informative, educational and “classic” visit to Grand Canyon National Park, I think the South Rim is a much better choice.  Further, the West Rim is rather expensive to visit… it’s at least $81.20 per adult and $61.16 per child ages 4 – 11. Children must be at least 4 to walk on the Skywalk.  There are extra fees (up to $35 total) just to enter the West Rim and ride the optional shuttle bus from the parking lot.

If you do choose the West Rim, I recommend U-Drive Tours (udrivetours.com) – they’re amazing. They not only package up all the Skywalk tickets and entrance fees to make things easy, but they include in their tour price the rental of a Jeep, SUV, Escalade, Prius or other fun cars that can handle the unpaved road that is the final 15 miles to the West Rim.  The owners are a super nice couple with young kids so they could be very helpful to helping you book the best trip to the West Rim possible. They know that area like the back of their hands and they operate / depart your tour from Las Vegas which is great for you.  They can also help round out the activities by recommending an add-on helicopter flight to the bottom of the canyon, horseback riding or a rafting trip.

The South Rim is the most visited for good reason.  The views are amazing, and the park service does a great job offering free ranger-led programs that are great for kids and will allow you to get the very most out of your 1 full day there.  It’s most crowded in the summer, though, so the trade-offs are big crowds at popular viewpoints and it can be difficult finding parking.

As the mother of an almost three year old, I suggest driving yourself to the South Rim vs. paying for a traditional bus tour for all of you.  I would like the flexibility to come and go in my own car, stop for bathroom breaks, keep “mommy” supplies in the car (change of clothes in case of potty accidents, snacks, etc.)  Plus, not knowing the age of your kids, you might want to bring strollers or a wagon as there is A LOT of walking at the Grand Canyon. Parking lots are usually about 1/4 mile from the rim itself, plus walking along the rim trail.  You can also ride the free hop-on-hop-off shuttle bus that runs around the South Rim from one viewpoint to the next… Definitely take advantage of that.

That’s not to say that tours aren’t a good idea… there are some FABULOUS choices once you’re at/near the South Rim.  Here are some of my favorite totally kid-friendly tour ideas at the south rim:
1) Ride the Grand Canyon Railway from Williams (an hour south of the park) to the South Rim of the park.  There couldn’t be a more relaxing, value-packed and kid-friendly way to spend a full day at the Canyon and they have different price points. www.thetrain.com
2) Take a Jeep Tour with Grand Canyon Jeep Tours… you can depart from either Williams or Tusayan (which is the town just outside the park entrance.)  They do a jeep ride to the bottom of the Canyon which is super cool. (www.grandcanyonjeeps.com)
3) Take a helicopter tour with any of the companies on theCanyon.com – they’re all great and you can’t go wrong. Two popular choices are MaverickHelicopter.com and Papillon.com (which also owns Grand Canyon Helicopters)

To find all these companies, check out theCanyon.com:

Grand Canyon Jeep Tours, U-Drive Tours and Grand Canyon Railway

Grand Canyon Helicopters, Papillon Helicopters, Maverick Helicopter and all helicopter tours from Las Vegas

Have a great trip and again, best wishes for your marriage!

–ChristinaToo

We had a very good question from a reader today, to which I thought I knew the answer but realized I did not!

Dear Arizona Travel:

I will be traveling to the Grand Canyon West Rim with my pet puppy. Are pets allowed on the Grand Canyon Skywalk?

Thank you – Cozette

ChristinaToo says:
Hi, Cozette. Great question! In researching the answer, I found I could not find confirmation on the Destination Grand Canyon website nor the Grand Canyon Skywalk website regarding pets, but I believe that no pets are allowed ON the Skywalk itself. If the Grand Canyon West Rim rules are the same as the parts of the Grand Canyon that are within the National Park boundary, then pets are allowed – if kept on a leash at all times.

However, I’m 99% certain that pets are not allowed on the Skywalk itself. The operators of the Skywalk are very careful about keeping the glass walkway pristine of any scratches; they do not allow shoes, (shoe covers are provided and required) cameras or even wheelchairs, so one could safely assume that they would not allowed pets – neither walked nor carried.

Need a dogsitter while you enjoy the West Rim? We recommend treating your dog to a fun day at the Canyon Pet Resort in Flagstaff, Arizona. You can reach them at (928) 214-9324.

Enjoy your trip!
-Christina

Rollout And “First Walk” Events Also Scheduled

LAS VEGAS — December 8, 2007 — Grand Canyon West, a destination owned and operated by the Hualapai Tribe at the Grand Canyon’s western rim, announces March 28, 2007 as the official public opening date of The Skywalk. The Skywalk will be the first-ever cantilever shaped glass walkway to suspend more than 4,000 feet above the canyon’s floor and extend 70 feet from the canyon’s rim.

Access to The Skywalk will run from dawn to dusk and will cost $25 per person in addition to the cost of a Grand Canyon West entrance package. One hundred and twenty people will be allowed on the bridge at a time. Admittance is first come, first serve for walk up visitors; however, reservations can be made. Guests will enter and exit the walkway via temporary buildings while the adjacent visitor’s center is being completed. Grand Canyon West plans to issue numbered shoe covers — in order to avoid scratches and slipping – to each visitor that enters the open-air walkway.

Prior to the public opening in March, Grand Canyon West will host a “First Walk” event for media and VIPs. The name of the first public figure to step on The Skywalk will be announced closer to the opening.

The historical rollout of The Skywalk structure, with the glass in place, is scheduled for February 27 to March 2. The initial part of the rollout process involves jacking the structure up off of the supports and then subjecting the structure to several days of thorough tests that replicate the conditions of final placement. After the final testing is complete, the multi-million pound steel enforced structure will be rolled out across the canyon’s edge, which takes multiple days. Immediately after the structure is in position, it will be seated and attached to the foundation. Details for a media event during the rollout will be revealed closer to the event.

Located at Grand Canyon West’s Eagle Point, The Skywalk facility will also include a 6,000 square-foot visitor’s center on three levels — underground, first story and second story — which will contain a museum, movie theater, VIP lounge, gift shop, and several restaurants and bars, including a high-end restaurant called The Skywalk Cafe that will offer outdoor patio and rooftop seating on the edge of the canyon. The second story will be where visitors can access The Skywalk glass walkway. The visitor’s center will also offer private indoor and outdoor facilities for meetings, special events and weddings.

Envisioned by Las Vegas-based entrepreneur David Jin, The Skywalk was designed by MRJ Architects and is being structurally engineered by Lochsa Engineering, LLC. The glass is being manufactured in Germany by Saint Gobain, a European company that specializes in designing structural glass for unique building projects worldwide.

Grand Canyon West is located approximately 120 miles east of Las Vegas, Nev., and 72 miles northwest of Kingman, Ariz. Attractions available at Grand Canyon West include The Indian Village with authentic dwellings, The Hualapai Market, and The Hualapai Ranch, a western town with horseback and wagon rides. Grand Canyon West is the only location throughout the entire Grand Canyon where visitors can access the river and water recreation activities at the bottom of the canyon via helicopter tours. In addition to boat tours on the river, Hummer tours are available along the rim of the canyon and through private areas that are otherwise inaccessible to the public. There are more than 30 tour and transportation companies that service Grand Canyon West from Las Vegas, Phoenix and Sedona by airplane, helicopter, coach, SUV, and Hummer. In addition, Park and Ride services are available from Dolan Springs, Ariz., a one-hour drive from Las Vegas. To book reservations, view a complete list of activities or receive maps and directions, visitors may log on to www.destinationgrandcanyon.com or call 1(877) 716-WEST (9378). The Hualapai Tribe, consisting of approximately 2,000 Hualapai members, owns nearly one million acres of land throughout the Grand Canyon’s western rim. The capitol of the Hualapai Reservation is Peach Springs, Ariz.

DATE: Tuesday, July 25, 2006

WHAT: The process of welding the steel beams for the glass cantilever-designed bridge, The Skywalk, is now underway. Shortly after the steel is fitted and welded together a process called “Jack-and-Roll” will be used in order to extend the bridges cantilever “U” shape steel piece 4,000 feet over the canyon. The total completion time for the “Jack-and-Roll” process is currently unknown, but is expected to take between eight and 24 hours. The process of placing the glass to the steel is currently under discussion on whether it will take place before or after the “Jack-and-Roll.”

WHO: The Skywalk is a partnership between the Hualapai tribe and entrepreneur David Jin of Las Vegas. The design team includes Las Vegas-based MRJ Architects, Lochsa Engineering, LLC and APCO Construction. The glass is being manufactured in Germany and Austria by Saint Gobain, a European company that specializes in designing architectural structural glass for unique building projects worldwide. The steel was manufactured by Mark Steel in Utah.

WHEN: The glass bridge preparation process is now available for viewing by appointment only to the media. The visitor’s center will be accessible and open to the public beginning first quarter 2007. It is anticipated The Skywalk will open to the public during fourth quarter 2006, with access through a temporary tunnel while the visitor’s center is being completed.

WHERE: Grand Canyon West is located approximately 120 miles east of Las Vegas, NV, and 72 miles northwest of Kingman, AZ. Attractions available at Grand Canyon West include The Indian Village with authentic dwellings, The Hualapai Market, and The Hualapai Ranch, a western town with horseback and wagon rides. Grand Canyon West is the only location throughout the entire Grand Canyon where visitors can access the river and water recreation activities at the bottom of the canyon via helicopter tours. For more information and how to purchase visitor packages, log on to www.destinationgrandcanyon.com or call 1(877) 716-WEST (9378).

It’s 10-feet wide and extends 70-feet from where it’s anchored to the rock. It has a deck made of tempered glass. That’s a description of a new $30 million structure being built in the Grand Canyon that’s expected to draw thousands.

It’s the Hualapai Indian Tribe’s “Glass Walkway,” a structure that will be suspended over the edge of the canyon some 4,000 feet above the Colorado River.

It will be higher than any of the world’s tallest free-standing skyscrapers. The walk way is horseshoe shaped, and its glass bottom will allow you to look straight down between to the canyon floor. Nothing like it has ever been attempted before.

The man-made structure will be attached to a rock face. It will take tourists to a place that so far only the birds have been able to go.

“People want to get close to the rim. But they’re scared, and it’s intimidating,” said Grand Canyon tour guide Scott Schneider.

Which is why, he said, they still come by the bus load: For the thrill of peaking over the edge, to the Colorado River running below.

“Yeah! You look over here and it seems a little nerve wracking to go the edge. It makes you little bit wobbly,” says Liuis Joseph, a tourist from Buffalo, New York.

Schneider said many of the hundreds of people who come to the Grand Canyon every day, never even look over the edge. “4,000 feet down is something that even the people who come here to see, don’t get to see because it is a little intimidating and scary to look down,” he said.

The new Skywalk will provide a perspective previously not possible. But it too is not for the faint of heart. The horseshoe shaped structure will extend out more than half the length of a football field. The floor of the walkway will be made of thick, high strength glass.

Walking on it will give the sensation of being suspended in the nothingness of the Canyon’s pristine air. Everyone who works the Canyon’s concessions– wants to try it.

“I can’t wait to get on that. But I guess I will have to wait. I hope to see it by the end of this year,” said river guide Steve Zhou.

Engineers say it will hold the weight of 71 – 747′s, and withstand winds in excess of 100 mph. There’s a million pounds of steel in the frame, most of which has already arrived at the site. Work is underway on support buildings, all of it owned and operated by the Canyon’s Hualapai tribe.

“It’s just something that you probably only dream of. To be able to look right straight down and see right below your feet. It’s like walking in the air,” said Chief Don.

The Hualapai expect the Skywalk to bring in thousands of new tourists. Las Vegas is only about two-and-a-half hours away, and all those potentially new tourists could bring in potentially millions of new dollars for the tribe.

It could be a new economic engine for one of the oldest societies in America.