Grand Canyon Skywalk Ready for Business

The Grand Canyon Skywalk is a brand new attraction extended out over one of the world's greatest wonders. The Skywalk has drawn its fair share of criticism and resistance but will open to the public March 28.

Skywalk is a glass-bottomed observation deck that extends from the edge of the western Grand Canyon over 70 feet across the canyon. A visitor to Skywalk will have the vantage point of standing 4,000 feet above the bottom of the canyon. This height is being touted as twice as high as any of the world's tallest buildings.

The Hualapai Indian Tribe is responsible for planning the attraction and will be collecting the fees, not including the $25 to enter the canyon per vehicle. The Skywalk is being viewed as the centerpiece to reinvigorate tourism at the Grand Canyon. Travel to the Skywalk includes rough, unpaved roads across rusty Arizonan terrain. The tribe is looking to further develop the area to include tours, river rafting and museums.

Despite the price tag, which was rumored to be around $75 at one point, and the difficulty of travel, Tribal leaders are hoping Skywalk will double the number of visitors to the canyon this year, and ultimately lead those numbers to over 1 million visitors to the area a year.

The official unveiling of the Skywalk was presided upon by tribal leaders who blessed, but it was not until a week later that the first guests were allowed to walk out across the deck.

Invited guests included former man-on-the-moon Buzz Aldrin and many American Indian leaders. The Grand Canyon Skywalk will open to the public on March 28.

The Skywalk was built over 2 years, and is designed to support a few hundred people while only 120 people will be allowed on the deck at a time. The observation deck was built with 3-inch thick glass, shock absorbers, and stands on steel anchors that were drilled 46 feet into the Grand Canyon rim.

This new attraction has overcome several obstacles, including resistance from environmentalists, tribe members, and a consumer public who balked at the initially high admission prices.

The Hualapai Tribe soldiered on and will share the profits with the Las Vegas developers who provided the initial $30 million to build the deck, as well as the tribe's members who have been living in poverty on their Arizona reservation.

The Grand Canyon Skywalk adds a new dimension for visitors to the Arizona landmark, and can hopefully revive a struggling tourism industry in the state.

Information about the Grand Canyon can be found at http://www.nps.gov/grca/index.htm, while everything about Grand Canyon Skywalk can be found at http://www.grandcanyonskywalk.com/home.html.