Grand Canyon West: Although most visitors to the Grand Canyon spend the bulk of their time on the South Rim, Grand Canyon West has recently become increasingly popular with the addition of the Grand Canyon Skywalk. Although it is largely grass plains or plateau flatland, the Skywalk and the Hualapai Indian Reservations have made it a destination spot for visitors. Easy access is still in development as most of it is only accessible by dusty dirt roads made by the Hualapai for tourists coming to their welcome center, so do your research and take a map.
Hualapai Reservation: Encompassing a vast area west of the Grand Canyon, the Hualapai Reservation has recently become a destination spot largely due to the newly constructed Grand Canyon Skywalk. The reservation itself houses grass prairies, plateaus and farthest to the north, canyons. Much of the land itself can only be accessed by hiking and while it’s certainly worth doing, many who come to visit the Grand Canyon don’t find the time to add it on. With the development of the Skywalk and surrounding projects, the area will likely see a boon in coming years. Stay tuned!
Grand Canyon Skywalk: Finished in 2007, the Skywalk was the baby of entrepreneur David Jin. Jin joined forces with the Hualapai after conceiving the idea of a glass walkway over the Grand Canyon. It is the cornerstone of a larger project to encompass a visitor’s center, shops, hotels, restaurants and a museum further developing the area and bringing even more tourism to the site and the tribe.
Stretching out 70 feet over the rim, the U shaped arc is meant to surround visitors with the canyon. Glass barriers and floor mean canyon below, canyon on all sides so visitors literally feel like they’re walking on air.
Some controversy surrounds the project, as some members of the Hualapai are opposed to further development of the land. Environmentalists have something to say as well as water and electricity have to be piped in as it’s too far away from any other source. But development plans continue on a large scale despite the protests.