Grand Canyon West

Arizona


The only way to visit Grand Canyon West, the section of the Grand Canyon overseen by the Hualapai Nation, is to purchase a package tour. These are based on a hop-on, hop-off shuttle ride, which loops to three stops along the rim. Tours include two viewpoints, cowboy activities at an ersatz Western town and informal American Indian performances. The Skywalk, a glass platform perched 4000ft above the canyon floor, is the primary draw, vertigo permitting.

All but the cheapest packages include admission to the Skywalk. Jutting out almost 70ft over the canyon, the platform allows visitors to look down on the canyon through the glass walkway (no cameras permitted). Another stop, Guano Point (named after a former bat guano mine), offers fantastic canyon and river views. Short helicopter tours are also offered ($99 to $140).

Since would-be visitors to the Skywalk are required to purchase a package tour, the experience can be a pricey prospect, best reserved for those with limited time whose only option for canyon views is a day trip from Las Vegas (2¼ hours away). If you're coming from Peach Springs, note that it's also a two-hour drive, even though it looks closer. Check the directions on the website before you head out as there's no cell service here. Don't miss the Joshua Tree Forest on the way in.