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The Hualapai Tribe & Grand Canyon West Review

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The Hualapai Tribe & Grand Canyon West

Address: Hualapai Tourist Information, on the West Rim of the Canyon, Peach Springs, AZ, 86434 | Map It
Phone: 928/769-2230; 888/255-9550
www.destinationgrandcanyon.com

Category: Canyon
Location: West Rim

Write a review | Avg. member rating: 1.6/5

Fodor's Review:

The Hualapai Tribe is expanding its tourism offerings on the West Rim, but you still won't be shoulder to shoulder with other visitors. Hualapai guides add Native American perspective to a canyon trip that you won't find on North and South Rim tours. Diamond Creek Road, directly north of the Hualapai Lodge in Peach Springs, is the access point for adventures in this developing section of the Grand Canyon, and winds past Diamond Peak to the Colorado River above Diamond Creek Rapid. The road is at river mile 226, which is 138 mi downstream from Phantom Ranch (as the crow flies the distance is about half of that). Diamond Creek Road can be braved by high clearance passenger vehicles, but your best bet is four-wheel-drive, especially in summer when storms are common.

More than 30 tour and transportation companies service Grand Canyon West from Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Sedona by airplane, helicopter, coach, SUV, and Hummer. Local Hualapai guides add a Native American perspective to a canyon trip that you won't find on North and South rim tours.

The Hualapai Tribe's efforts to expand its tourism offerings on the West Rim include the new Skywalk, a cantilever-shaped glass bridge suspended 4,000 feet above the Colorado River and extending 70 feet from the edge of the Grand Canyon—talk about a cliffhanger! Located at Eagle Point, it opened in early 2007. The Skywalk is approximately 10 feet wide, and the bridge's deck, made of tempered glass several inches thick, has five-foot glass railings on each side. A three-level, 6,000-square-foot visitor's center includes a museum, movie theater, VIP lounge, gift shop, and several restaurants and bars. The high-end Skywalk Café has an outdoor patio and rooftop seating on the edge of the canyon.

The Hualapai Tribe requires visitors to obtain permits to travel on tribal lands, although no permit is required to drive to the West Rim if you take a tour while there.

Cost: $15-$17; Skywalk $75
Open: Daily

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Member Reviews and Ratings

Reviewed by travelerA from Denver on 7/1/09
June 2009. Be aware that the drive to the Hualapui Reservation is difficult - it includes 14 miles of unpaved road that was difficult in good weather. You are not allowed to drive up close to the canyon and must park at their tour center where the helicopters and planes and buses park. The area is surrounded by barbed wire so you can not walk to the edge of the canyon. You are then required to pay $43 per person access fee (not $15 to $17, no exceptions) to take a bus to the points mentioned in this article. The skywalk is another $29.95 per person. Although the tour companies and air services have little offices here, you must book all tours through the indian tribe and prices are 2 to 3 times the rate you can get by booking in advance. There are no guard rails at the rim of the canyon, so bringing small children might be dangerous. Would recommend the North Rim national park for less crowds if you have the time and inclination to drive there.