Some sites say it’s $75 others says it’s just $25. Not sure which is correct. We plan on driving ourselves and not talking the shuttle bus. Also, are there any decent hotels nearby you can recommend? THANKS!

I was at Grand Canyon West and the SkyWalk about a year ago (shortly after it opened) and it cost me a total of $80.

Unlike in the National Park, you can not roam around Grand Canyon West on your own. You must park at the airport visitor center and then buy one of the package tours which takes you around the area on a shuttle bus. The cheapest package tour that included the SkyWalk was $80 (which included the park fee).

Once you buy your package tour, you then wait for the shuttle bus to take you to the only two canyon locations that you get to see: Eagle Point (where the SkyWalk is) and Guano Point (where the buffet meal is). At the time of my visit, the shuttle was running about every 20 minutes and I had to wait in line in the sun (no benches or seats) for 40 minutes before getting on a bus.

The first stop for the shuttle is Eagle Point. Here you will find the glass SkyWalk, but it is not the way it is promoted or shown in some early artist renditions. First off, there is no attached building or other facilities – just the walkway itself and a temporary building where you must show your pass and drop off your cameras (you are not allowed to take a camera on the SkyWalk). You then put little paper booties over your shoes and walk out.

As for the SkyWalk itself… the glass SkyWalk is NOT 4000 over the Colorado River (as claimed in some early promotions). It is actually located up a small dry side canyon with only a small section of the main gorge and river visible in the distance. What is directly below the SkyWalk is a ledge of rock and rubble about 1000 to 1500 feet down – it is really not that interesting to look at. Also, the floor of the walkway is not complete see-through – the large U-shaped metal beams that hold it up block about a third of the view which makes it feel like you are looking down through a trapdoor in a floor rather than walking on air. Yes, it is kinda an odd sensation when you first step out on the SkyWalk and see nothing but empty space beneath your feet, but I found the novelty of it wore off pretty quick and the overall experience was a bit of a let-down. The view looking out over the canyon from the SkyWalk is scenic, but no different than the view standing on the rim.

The rest of the attractions (the Indian Village and old west cowboy town) are pretty minimal – the Indian Village has a half dozen structures with very little information (and many of the tribes represented are ones that did not live anywhere near the Grand Canyon) and the old west town is an unauthentic collection of a few wooden buildings (none of which are historic). And while the canyon in this area is big and scenic, it is still not as big, deep or complex in structure as the area where the National Park is located far to the east in a very different part of the canyon.

If you are driving yourself, you should also be warned that the final 15 miles of the road to Grand Canyon West is a dusty rough gravel road that takes about an hour to travel and has caused more than a few flat tires.

Please note, that I am not saying that you should not go to Grand Canyon West and the SkyWalk – I am just that you should read some travel review sites (like TripAdvisor) from people that have been there before you spend the time and money. Some visitors do enjoy it, but others come away very angry feeling like it they were ripped off. Please note also that I very much sympathize with the Hualapai Tribe for trying to use the beauty of their land to help offset their poverty and lack of jobs, but (in my opinion), the Las Vegas promoters that created and run the SkyWalk have created a tourist trap that does not do honor to either the beauty of the canyon or the ancient culture of the Hualapai people.

As far as lodging goes… there is no lodging right at the canyon rim at Grand Canyon West. The tribe does run a few rustic cabins at Hualapai Ranch (back a ways from the rim) and there are also a couple very small family run hotels in the small community of Mead View about an hour away.

The nearest location with a lot of lodging options is Kingman, Arizona at the junction of I-40 and US93. It is about 2 hours drive from Grand Canyon West. Kingman has all the standard chain hotels as well as the historic Hotel Brunswick.

Filed under: Las Vegas Tours and Attractions

Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!