Hikers can stand above the the Grand Canyon with nothing but glass separating their feet and the river bottom 3600 feet below on the Hualapai Indian reservation.
The Grand Canyon West Skywalk runs 150 feet on a horseshoe-shaped cantilever bridge with a glass walkway. It’s not actually in Grand Canyon National Park but to its west. The structure was commissioned and is owned by the Hualapai Indian tribe.
To reach the trailhead, from Kingman, Ariz., take U.S. Hwy. 93 north. At Dolan Springs, go right/northeast onto County Road Hwy. 25/Pierce Ferry Road. Next, turn left/northeast onto County Road 261/East Diamond Bar Road, which later naturally becomes County Road 7. Upon reaching the four-way intersection after passing the Grand Canyon West airport, continue straight/northeast into Eagle Point Road to the parking area.
Once on the grounds, make your way to the Skyway building for tickets and access.
The Skywalk sits on Eagle Point at 4,770 ft elevation. The vertical drop directly below the skywalk ranges from to 50 to 80 stories. The Colorado River at the base of the canyon below is at 1,160 ft above sea level or roughly 361 stories down.
You can walk on a “solid” deck that you can’t see through or on glass that allows you to see straight down. Don’t worry about the glass breaking; the deck can handle up to 100-pounds-per-square-foot.
The Skywalk gives a postcard perfect view of another point sticking into the canyon as well as the North Rim.
The $30 million skywalk opened in 2007. It attracts more than a million visitors per year.
Once you’ve done the skywalk, you can walk to Guano Point. As the trail goes along the canyon’s edge, this is not a walk for children or those afraid of heights.
To reach it, from the skywalk take Eagle Point Service Road northwest. At County Road 7, turn right/northwest. At 1.7 miles, you’ll walk onto the narrow point where you can enjoy 360 degree views with the canyon spreading out below you. The remnants of a 1957 aerial tramway are on the point. It makes for a 3.4-mile round trip hike.
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