We want to see the new glass skybridge at the Grand Canyon. Has anyone been there? What can you tell me about it? I have looked at a couple of websites for it, but I would appreciate a personal account. Thanks in advance for any info.
I was a bit disappointed that no one had any information about the Grand Canyon Skywalk when I made my first post. Since then I have been there, so I’ll answer myself. If you are not interested in the skywalk, you can stop reading now. First it is not located where I thought it was. I thought it was on the western edge of the south rim of the Grand Canyon National Park. It is actually much farther west and not accessible from the park at all. It is located at Grand Canyon West (hence the confusion) which is about 70 mi. north of Kingman. AZ. The first part of the drive is on good paved roads. Twenty-one miles from GCW you turn onto a dirt/gravel road which continues for 14 miles. Although they grade and water it, it is still very bumpy and dusty. There is a Park and Ride service if you don’t want to drive this part yourself. We were in our Jeep so we knew we could make it. I think the fee for the P&R is $10 a person. After the dirt road it is another 7 miles on a paved road, but it is a bit rough. The view through here is pretty nice. When you get to GCW you must first pay $20 just to park. This area has a gift shop where you buy tickets for entering the Hualapai reservation and for the attractions-- airplane and helicopter tours, rafting, off road tours, horseback riding, and the skywalk. The fee to enter the reservation is $29.95 plus tax. This includes riding the shuttle to points of interest. The first stop on the shuttle is Eagle Point where the Skywalk is located. This is a bridge with glass on the sides and bottom. It is cantilevered out over the Grand Canyon at a point that is 4000 feet to the bottom. You can see the skywalk from several vantage points, but to actually walk out on it is another $29.95 plus tax. Also you are not allowed to take any personal belongings out on the skywalk—bags, purses, cameras, cell phones, anything that might be dropped over or on the bridge. To store your things you must rent a locker for $1. You are also required to wear “booties” over your shoes so that they will not scratch the glass. (There was no charge for the booties.) I had heard you were limited to only 10 minutes on the bridge, but that was not true when I was there. You could stay as long as you wanted. I found the bridge to be smaller than I had thought it would be, and because of the high glass walls it was not scary at all to walk on, although many people did not agree with me. They held on very tightly to the rails. While you are on the bridge they will take your picture which you can purchase later for $25.95. If you want to take your own picture of the skywalk you can do so from an area off to one side. This is very close to the canyon edge so there is a designated point you cannot go past. However, they have several tribe members who will take your camera, walk out to the edge and take several pictures for you. They do not ask for but gladly accept tips. Adjacent to the skywalk they are constructing a building that will house a visitor center, restaurant, and small conference center. If you see pictures of a large adobe-like building at one end of the skywalk it is not there yet. This is what they are building. Also in this area are a snack bar, an area where Native American dances are demonstrated, and several examples Native American dwellings. The next shuttle stop is Guano Point. This is a picnic area where a BBQ lunch can be purchased. We did not eat here so I can’t say how the food was. This place has a very spectacular view, but not much else. There is a another stop called the Hualapai Ranch that has wild west attractions including a gunfight show, wagon rides, livestock corral, panning for gold, and a trading post. I’m not sure if any of these activities had additional fees. Food was also available. We did not go to this area because we did not have enough time. Another stop named Quartermaster Overlook was not open when we were there. The bridge has only been open a little less than a year so maybe when they are finished with all their construction and other improvements it will be better. I don’t know if I would recommend going there because of the high cost. I am glad I saw the skywalk, but I do think it is too expensive. If you want more information their website is www.destinationgrandcanyon.com.
Texasrvers, Thanks for your update and review. We will be in the general area in mid-April and was considering doing the bridge thing. Given the cost per person to do it, I think we may pass.
Thanks for the review! Your review definitely put that on my "don't bother" list. Why build such a thing if it's going to be that much hassle to see it? Not to mention darn fees for this and fees for that...... :angry: JJ
TexasRVers you are right on with every thing else I have read. The Good Sam Forum has had a lot of reveiws and most were very negitive.
Wow, when I read your comments I felt bad because I had not meant to discourage anyone from visiting the bridge. I just wanted to give you an idea of what it was like for us. However, I have now read the reviews and comments for the bridge on another website, and they are much more harsh and critical than mine. Most people felt ripped off because they did not know about the costs up front or about the dirt road. We did, but I had to do a lot of digging to get the information. It does not seem to be readily available. I even called the number on their website and got a less-than-pleasant lady who seemed very reluctant to let go of any information she had. I got frustrated with her and hung up. But I called back a day later and got a very nice man who freely offered information and answered all my questions. He explained about the road, the park and ride, and the different costs. He even mentioned not being able to take personal belongings and cameras out on the bridge. We wound up paying about $10 more than we expected, but that was because of taxes. So even though we knew it would be expensive we chose to go anyway. I guess I just expected the bridge to be a little more special, and the construction was an eyesore. Even so it was still a really neat experience. The weather was great (sunny, no wind) and we remained out on the bridge for about 30 min. There were more people than I expected, but it was not too crowded. I can certainly see how bad or hot weather and crowds of people could make your visit much less enjoyable. Maybe in the future they will get their act together and this will be a great experience for everyone.
Yikes! We are headed to the Grand Canyon in April/May and were planning to check the sky bridge out. Sounds like it is too $$$$ for me.....we'll pass. Thanks for the info Texas.
TexasRvers, ,Don't feel bad for posting imformation. That is what most are on here for. While this is a good forum for making friends and and checking out parks, Good Sam has many more posting members. It is funny that RVParks and reveiws is often recommended on Good Sam I am the only one on here that recommeds Good Sam. Their moderators do a great job keeping it all together. There are several on here that would have been kicked off of there if they posted the same way. The day the Bridge opened ther were posts about it on Good Sam.
Thanks TexasRVers... for a great, comprehensive review. Had seen couple photos in a Sunset Magazine, understood it was not easily accessible, and suspected the rest ($) when it became clear it was not part of the Grand Canyon Park systems per se. Thanks BigBen... for the mention of a Good Sam forum! Will check it out. B) FYI: Discovered www.iRV2.com forum when Googling for information on our rig. Also, considerably more folks than on this site, however the moderators keep things upbeat and friendly. Have plugged RV Park Reviews to multiple folks on iRV2 who are floundering around looking for campground information. Cheers!
What no Pictures??? here's $29.95 for 1 picture.......LOL Hey thanks for the info I doubt I'll be able to get that way anytime soon. Don't worry about people changing thier minds thats why we share our thoughts and opinions on the good and the bad....Happy Trails
