Rim Shot
The Grand Canyon's long-awaited Next Big Thing in roadside tourism is just about to debut. The Skywalk is a 70-foot, U-shaped steel walkway with a clear glass floor that cantilevers 70 feet straight out over the abyss of the Grand Canyon. Walk out and look between your shoes at the Colorado River 4,000 feet below.
A true bird's-eye view. (Courtesy of Grand Canyon West)
Next week, engineers will begin rolling out the horseshoe-shaped observation deck on steel rollers over concrete tracks. "It's almost like pyramid technology," Daniel Kay, the project's lead publicist, said in a phone interview. It will take two days to get it all the way out and bolt it to more than 400 concrete-and-rebar anchor points set in the canyon wall. The whole structure contains more than a million pounds of steel.
The $30 million walkway is on the Hualapai reservation, 120 miles east of Las Vegas, about four hours west of Flagstaff. A footpath may not be as disruptive as a casino, but not everyone loves the Hualapai's innovative approach to economic development. To some, the Skywalk is a chance for a Zen-like mid-air stroll over one of nature's greatest landscapes. To others, it's a ticky-tacky abomination against, well, one of nature's greatest landscapes, a kind of glass-bottom boat ride through a seven-wonders setting.
In any case, it's coming. After a ceremonial first walk on March 20 (with astronaut Buzz Aldrin taking one of the first sky walks), the place opens to the public on March 28. Tickets will be $25 each. Go here for more information.
By Steve Hendrix |
March 1, 2007; 10:45 AM ET
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Posted by: Tim C | March 1, 2007 12:00 PM
I had the opportunity to visit the Grand Canyon for the first time last Spring. After reading that only 10% of GC visitors actually hike down into the Canyon, I was determined to be one of the few, and so my husband and I spent 2 nights in a cabin at Bright Angel Lodge. Nothing, not even a tacky skywalk, could take away the majesty of the Canyon. I can't wait to go back again one day and hopefully make it all the way to the bottom.
PS I also learned that you just can't take a bad picture of the Grand Canyon.
Posted by: Karen | March 1, 2007 2:03 PM
My wife, daughter, and I travelled to the Grand Canyon for the first time this past November. I am of the opinion that if the Hualapai want to take advantage of the tourist dollar and build their skywalk, go for it. They've been there a lot longer than any of us. We've done plenty ourselves, some of it tacky, to make the park a tourist destination. The Grand Canyon is still and will always be an awesome place that can only really be appreciated by literally getting into it instead of just standing at the rim snapping pictures. Just my opinion.
Posted by: Ken | March 1, 2007 3:55 PM
what a stupid idea.
Posted by: cc | March 1, 2007 5:15 PM
what a stupid comment -
Sounds like a cool new (and carbon emmision free) way to enjoy a natural wonder.
Posted by: cperks | March 1, 2007 5:59 PM
The Hualapi have a problem, because they are so remotely located. An attempt at a Casino failed years ago.
The walkway is located not at the main Grand Canyon, but in a very isolated area called the West Rim. Last time I went there, there was nothing to do but look out over the Canyon. There were pricey helicopter flights available, but not much else. The 20 mile or so road into the Canyon was unpaved, and we saw one person pulled over due to rocks damaging his undercarriage. We had a rental car, Ha, Ha. Water has to be trucked in, too. Despite the lack of anything except the view, there was a $14 admission charge per person. Wonder if the walkway will be an ADDITIONAL cost? The drive from Vegas is at least 2 hours, having to cross the Hoover Dam logjam. The dam bypass bridge has been delayed a couple of years, so the West Rim will remain a minor attraction, I feel.
Posted by: Robert D | March 2, 2007 10:54 AM
Very accurate comment by Robert D. This skywalk has been pre-advertised for a long time. I was supposed to be opened last year. We were there in October and they were advertising the opening in December - by the way it looked at that time there was no way it could have opened in Dec. The skywalk will have additional fee. The Skywalk is financed by a Chinese entrepreneur and he gets all the proceeds of the entrance fee for (I think) first 25 years. Then the Hualapai start getting the money. The Hualapai feel that they have been deprived of all the financial benefits of the tourist trade. They need to fix the approach road to make the location more accessible.
Posted by: KS | March 2, 2007 11:14 AM
The information about the Chinese entrepreneur in my earlier post was based on what we were told during our tour. As described in the press release the entrepreneur is Las Vegas-based David Jin.
Posted by: KS | March 2, 2007 1:07 PM
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Given the scale of the Grand Canyon, which never ceases to amaze me no matter how many times I see it, you won't even see the Hualapai skywalk unless you're looking for it.