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Good suggestion. The the railway offers lodging, cafe's and pub's on both ends of the route and you can access the rest of the canyon via the regularly scheduled shuttle busses, which run around the south rim until September (I think).
While I was initially intrigued by the Skywalk I am curious if anyone has seen this and what you may have thought as I am now under the impression that the site does not quite live up to it's marketing hype...
It a long drive from anywhere (three hours from Las Vegas, five hours from the South Rim Visitor's Center).
The last 15 miles are bumpy and unpaved.
The views are not as spectacular as those in Grand Canyon National Park.
It is expensive.
Cameras are not permitted on the Skywalk.
Tourists are advised to bring sun protection (hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen) because the wait on the line is long and the summer heat, intense.
It is a work in progress and resembles a construction site.
From another site (Grand Canyon Skywalk is a sham!) regarding possible last minute closures..."The authorities may close the Skywalk on a slight chance of high wind or rain, and visitors who make it up to the Skywalk parking area, after driving through the dirt road, are NOT informed that the Skywalk will be closed and are still issued tickets. Upon reaching the Skywalk, they are informed that they will have to wait until the winds have died down or the rains have stopped. No refunds!"
Negative reviews of course need to be taken with a grain of salt and I realize many people may have found this to be a worthwhile experience.
While I was initially intrigued by the Skywalk I am curious if anyone has seen this and what you may have thought as I am now under the impression that the site does not quite live up to it's marketing hype...
It a long drive from anywhere (three hours from Las Vegas, five hours from the South Rim Visitor's Center).
The last 15 miles are bumpy and unpaved.
The views are not as spectacular as those in Grand Canyon National Park.
It is expensive.
Cameras are not permitted on the Skywalk.
Tourists are advised to bring sun protection (hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen) because the wait on the line is long and the summer heat, intense.
It is a work in progress and resembles a construction site.
From another site (Grand Canyon Skywalk is a sham!) regarding possible last minute closures..."The authorities may close the Skywalk on a slight chance of high wind or rain, and visitors who make it up to the Skywalk parking area, after driving through the dirt road, are NOT informed that the Skywalk will be closed and are still issued tickets. Upon reaching the Skywalk, they are informed that they will have to wait until the winds have died down or the rains have stopped. No refunds!"
Negative reviews of course need to be taken with a grain of salt and I realize many people may have found this to be a worthwhile experience.
You're right. A little research reveals that this might not be worth the effort!
Not only is it a long way from the rest of the South Rim attractions, it costs $32.05 just to walk out on the damn thing and no cameras are allowed!
In an effort to preserve the glass, cameras aren't allowed? What a joke! So you drive down a dirt road to get there, pay money to see the canyon from one vantage point and can't take pictures of it? Yea, if I were the OP, I'd definitely stick to the South Rim!
ETA: It's $32 per person!! What a ripoff! You pay by the car to enter the actual park at the South Rim and they aren't closed half the year!
Both sides of the canyon are fantastic, but I really like the North Rim much better. Very beautiful up there and just better.
Agreed. Of all the visitors to the Canyon, only an estimated 10% visit the North Rim. A thousand feet higher in elevation and much harder to get to without planning, its remoteness is part of the charm, imo. Best time to visit is late May-mid June after the snowmelt and clear road but before the summer tourist season, and again mid Sept-early Oct before the snows and after the summer crowds are gone. Good weather both of these times, light crowds, and always great scenery any time of year at the North Rim.
Thanks for all the posts. I'm not sure about who is all going at this point. Definitely me and my husband and possibly my son, his girlfriend and maybe my daughter and a boyfriend. My daughter is the youngest at 19. I would love to either to plane or helicopter plus the rafting. What is the best month to go weather wise? I'm guessing summer is excruciatingly hot?
Thanks for all the posts. I'm not sure about who is all going at this point. Definitely me and my husband and possibly my son, his girlfriend and maybe my daughter and a boyfriend. My daughter is the youngest at 19. I would love to either to plane or helicopter plus the rafting. What is the best month to go weather wise? I'm guessing summer is excruciatingly hot?
Believe the number of rafting outfitters allowed is strictly controlled which results in a limited number of outfitters on the river at any one time. I've heard some of the more desireable trips/routes need to be booked a year or more in advance. Sounds like these are the trip of a lifetime adventures and worth planning for.
On another note, I don't think I've ever seen or heard of another National Park that has so many deaths occurring on a regular basis. Surprisingly enough the majority of these are falls (often related to photography attempts) and usually the recovery process takes days, often with the body readily visible down below. The link is from the Park Service Web Site and each year seems to be a copy of the year before...
Believe the number of rafting outfitters allowed is strictly controlled which results in a limited number of outfitters on the river at any one time. I've heard some of the more desireable trips/routes need to be booked a year or more in advance. Sounds like these are the trip of a lifetime adventures and worth planning for.
On another note, I don't think I've ever seen or heard of another National Park that has so many deaths occurring on a regular basis. Surprisingly enough the majority of these are falls (often related to photography attempts) and usually the recovery process takes days, often with the body readily visible down below. The link is from the Park Service Web Site and each year seems to be a copy of the year before...
While I was initially intrigued by the Skywalk I am curious if anyone has seen this and what you may have thought as I am now under the impression that the site does not quite live up to it's marketing hype...
It a long drive from anywhere (three hours from Las Vegas, five hours from the South Rim Visitor's Center).
The last 15 miles are bumpy and unpaved.
The views are not as spectacular as those in Grand Canyon National Park.
It is expensive.
Cameras are not permitted on the Skywalk.
Tourists are advised to bring sun protection (hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen) because the wait on the line is long and the summer heat, intense.
It is a work in progress and resembles a construction site.
From another site (Grand Canyon Skywalk is a sham!) regarding possible last minute closures..."The authorities may close the Skywalk on a slight chance of high wind or rain, and visitors who make it up to the Skywalk parking area, after driving through the dirt road, are NOT informed that the Skywalk will be closed and are still issued tickets. Upon reaching the Skywalk, they are informed that they will have to wait until the winds have died down or the rains have stopped. No refunds!"
Negative reviews of course need to be taken with a grain of salt and I realize many people may have found this to be a worthwhile experience.
Why would cameras not be permitted on the skywalk?
Why would cameras not be permitted on the skywalk?
The official position from the operator appears to be to prevent a dropped camera from damaging the glass. It does appear that they will take your picture for you for $15.
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