Take A Breathtaking Stroll On The Grand Canyon Skywalk Tour
You may not be able to walk on air, but at Grand Canyon
Helicopter tour with Skywalk, you can walk on glass suspended nearly 4,000 feet in the air! A U-shaped, glass
-bottom walkway at Eagle Point in Arizona juts out 70 feet from the canyon's West Rim, allowing you
to go for a stroll with nothing between your feet and the Colorado River except 4 inches of glass.
Grand Canyon West is owned by the Hualapai Native Americans, a tribe consisting of more than 1,500 members who have lived on
the west side of the canyon for untold generations. They possess nearly 1 million acres of land there. The $30
million Skywalk is an engineering wonder. It has been created to bear at least 71 million pounds, withstand
powerful winds of more than 100 mph (from eight different directions!) and endure an 8.0-magnitude earthquake
within a 50-mile radius. More than 1 million pounds of steel were used to build it.
Construction on the Skywalk began in March of 2004. In May of 2005, the final test was conducted and the structure
passed engineering requirements by 400 percent. History was then made on March 20, 2007, when the official dedication
ceremony took place with former astronaut Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin taking the first steps on it, joined by Native American
astronaut John Herrington. Since the opening of the Skywalk, Grand Canyon West has welcomed more than 200,000
visitors to the area.
It definitely takes some courage to go on the Skywalk because looking through the glass floor can be intense. After
climbing a stairway of about 20 steps, you put a pair of non-scratch booties on over your shoes. You'll find the
glass floor is about 5 feet wide, and there are 6-foot-tall glass walls with handrails all along the Skywalk.
Even though your brain knows better, you can't help but feel nervous as you wander out over the huge gorge. It's also
hard to forget that the only thing between you and the canyon floor nearly a half-mile below is a few inches of
glass! However, the views of the Grand Canyon are spectacular from here and well worth the visit. There's only one
better way to experience its beauty, a helicopter tour of
the Grand Canyon.
A maximum of 120 people are allowed on the Skywalk at any given time. You won't be able to carry anything with you.
Visitors are asked to store all their personal belongings in lockers because if something was dropped, the sensitive
plexiglass could be scratched. There is a professional photographer on the Skywalk who will snap your picture, which
will be available later for purchase.
The entire Grand Canyon West complex is 6,000 square feet and contains a museum, movie theater, VIP lounge,
gift shop, several restaurants and a bar.
Maverick Helicopters operates flights to Grand Canyon West from Las Vegas. Our
Indian Territory tour features a stop at the Skywalk
with a dual landing at the top and bottom of the Grand Canyon.
Be sure to check out the video below to find out which Grand Canyon rim is right for you.