Roll Out the Grand Canyon Skywalk
The exciting new Skywalk at Grand Canyon West opens on March 28
The Skywalk at Grand Canyon West, operated by the Hualapai Nation, opens March 28. Visitors walk out on a glass walkway suspended 4000 feet above the Grand Canyon floor
The Grand Canyon Skywalk has been rolled out from the cliff top at Grand Canyon West, giving visitors a bird's-eye view of the world's most famous chasm. This historic event, on March 7, 2007, was the final stage in the construction of the "glass bridge," which will open to the public on March 28.
Built in the shape of a "U", the Skywalk extends 70 feet out from the edge of the cliff. The walkway's glass bottom gives an unparalleled view of the canyon floor and the Colorado River 4,000 feet below. The solid sides of the Skywalk help to counteract any feeling of vertigo as you stand suspended in the air, gazing at one of nature's most spectacular creations from a new perspective.
The Grand Canyon was carved out of the vast Colorado Plateau by the Colorado River over a period of some 2 million years. It stretches for 277 miles through northwestern Arizona. Grand Canyon West, where the Skywalk is located, is the most remote of the access points to the canyon. It lies on Native American land belonging to the Hualapai Nation.
The man-made Skywalk's statistics are equally impressive. The distance between the glass bridge and the canyon floor is more than twice the height of the world's tallest skyscraper (the Taipei 101 building in Shanghai).
It took three years and more than a million pounds of steel to build the cantilever walkway. And it passed its engineering safety tests with flying colors. It can support the weight of 71 fully loaded Boeing 747 planes. It will be able to withstand an earthquake of 8.0 magnitude within 50 miles, and winds over 100 miles per hour from eight different directions.
The first walk on the Skywalk takes place on March 20, 2007. The honor of taking the first steps on the glass bridge goes to astronaut Buzz Aldrin, one of the Apollo 11 team who took the first steps on the moon in 1969. At the same time, Chairman Vaughan of the Hualapai Nation and the Native American astronaut John Herrington will step out from the other end of the Skywalk. When the tribal chairman and astronauts meet in the center of the Skywalk, it will be a symbolic union of earth and sky.
From March 28, visitors can also walk on the Skywalk. Grand Canyon West is closest to Las Vegas, about 120 miles east of the city. It is a popular day-trip destination, with several tour operators offering transportation and tours. Entry costs $25 per person in addition to a Grand Canyon West entrance package.
Read the full facts on how to visit the Grand Canyon Skywalk by clicking here.
