Glass Bridge over the Grand Canyon

The glass bridge over the Grand Canyon (no, this is not an urban myth!) is nearing completion. Summer 2006 is the anticipated completion date:

By the end of this year, the answer will be the Grand Canyon Skywalk — a glass bridge that is being built on the edge of the canyon on the western rim.

Part of Grand Canyon West, a destination owned and operated by the Hualapai Tribe, the Skywalk was originally set to open in January but is now scheduled for completion by midsummer and will be open to the public by the end of the year.

Part of Grand Canyon West, a destination owned and operated by the Hualapai Tribe, the Skywalk was originally set to open in January but is now scheduled for completion by midsummer and will be open to the public by the end of the year.

“Tourism is our only means of self-sufficiency, of our people coming out of poverty and social problems,” said Sheri Yellowhawk, chief executive officer of Grand Canyon West.

Last year, about a quarter million people visited the area located on the west rim of the Grand Canyon. The Hualapai tribe owns 1 million acres of land with 108 miles of that along the rim of the canyon. Yellowhawk said although the land-use plan designates 9,000 acres for development, only 11 percent of the land within that 9,000 acres will actually be developed.

She said once Grand Canyon West is at total build-out — in approximately 10 to 15 years — the area will draw between 3 million and 5 million visitors a year like the south rim of the Grand Canyon.

It will be interesting to see how this evolves relative to those plans.

5 Responses to “Glass Bridge over the Grand Canyon”

  1. Camping in Arizona » Blog Archive » Note to Self - Check out the Glass Bridge over the Grand Canyon Says:

    […] Ok this glass bridge looks really cool.  On my camping trip if I get a chance I must check it out.  Hope I don’t fall off! […]

  2. Archeress Says:

    Is the bridge completed? Did you see it? Does anyone have actual photos of/from it? How can I get to it?

  3. drburcon Says:

    It is a rip off. Much smaller than the painting. NO PHOTOGRAHPY ALLOWED! Three times as expensive as web site claims. Long, slow lines. The list goes on.

  4. cpykt Says:

    As I had stated in another blog on a recent trip to Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon we traveled to the Grand Canyon West on July 2,2007 to walk on the skywalk.The Skywalk itself was quite an experience. However, getting there, the quality and the organization of the site was less than desireable. To get to the site you should be prepared for some rough terrain. There is approximately 14 miles of hard packed dirt washboard road that will rattle your eyeteeth if you try to exceed 10 miles per hour. It took nearly 2 hours for us to traverse these 14 miles, which we said we wouldn’t come back until the road was paved. The ticketing is quite pricy for what you get. The cost is $49.00 for the priveledge of getting on the Hualapai land which includes a meal (which I will mention more about shortly) and another $25.00 if you want to walk on the skywalk. Be prepared that no cameras, cell phones, or any personal items are allowed on the skywalk (which kind of defeats the whole idea of why you would like to come). We were hustled in an old school bus to a makeshift western town to see a shoot out, have lunch and take pictues. Skip the trip to the Hualapi ranch and wait until you get to Guano point to eat. we found the meal is much better there but we had already used our meal coupon and were not informed there would be a choice. Guano point was , besides the skywalk, the better part of the trip. Be aware there are no railings around the edge. This prompts many people to crawl on hands and knees to the edge for a peek at the Colorado river 2000 feet below. We encountered a young man from Italy who ,while standing six inches from the edge, told us the heights didn’t bother him because he was a para sailer and he was use to it. The only thing I said was “Yeah but you don’t have a parasail on”. The view is spectacular. We climbed to the top of Guano point and was amazed at the awesome panorama that unfolded around us. You can have the obligatory photograph they will take of you done but I would rather have been allowed to take my camera to shoot my own pictures. All in all I found the management of the site lacking but the features to be good. I suppose it has a lot to do with the fact the site is not 100% complete. I only hope they get things more organized because it has the potential to be an awesome vacation destination. Like drburcon says at this point it’s not worth all the money you have to spend. Take it from someone who’s been there. Wait for at least another 2 years before you go. I have a feeling they are going to get so much negative publicity by opening it up to the public before completion that they will not get enough funding to keep it open. Sure hope it doesn’t go belly up because the Hualapai are relying heavily on this venture.

  5. Wes Says:

    The sky walklooks absolutely awesome, thanks drburcon and cpykt for your reports.
    Was spose to be going last month with my wife but didn’t end up going.

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