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Flying into Grand Canyon West Airport

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Flying to the Grand Canyon Skywalk and Guano Point!

If you're counting pennies stop reading, this is not the place for you!

Visiting private property which holds one of the 7 natural wonders of the would isn't cheap. Despite the stories I had heard the employees were friendly and happy to answer my questions. The fees were high but if you arrived knowing that it's not a surprise.

Grand Canyon West Airport and the surrounding land is owned by the Hualapai tribe of Native Americans. There is a $20 or $100 landing fee depending on who you talk too and the fee is waved if you buy the tour package for the SkyWalk. The tour package including transportation is $65 or $75 depending on who rings it up.

Upon landing the Fire Department met me at my plane and advises there is a $20 landing fee. He says to make sure you tell the desk when you buy the tour tickets. He escorts me to the office and for the third time I am told to advise the casher I landed in a private plane.

I get to the casher and tell her my plane is parked on the ramp for the day. She looks at me like I'm nuts. So I tell her again thinking she didn't hear me. "Why do you pilots always tell me that?", she asks. I'm offered a choice of tour packages and I choose one for $65 a person which included transportation and a walk on the SkyWalk.

You are not allowed to take any personal items on the SkyWalk including phones, cameras or handbags and for $1 you get to use a locker to lock everything up. However, they didn't charge me the $1.

On the Skywalk they have professional photographers who take pictures which you may purchase. The Ultimate package is $99 which includes 3 printed and framed plus 6 on a thumb drive. I didn't have time to choose pictures so I selected the $99 package. She prints three and puts 10 on the thumb drive and says; "I only charge $79 for the $99 package."

Are we starting to see a trend here?

After the Skywalk we rode the bus to Guano Point. Don't miss Guano Point, it has the best views of the canyon and we really enjoyed this location. At Guano Point the tour helicopters pass 1500' below as they descend into the canyon.

We spent 5 1/2 hours at Grand Canyon West and saw everything. The total for 2 tours, lunch and pictures came to $230. Not cheap, but this is the Grand Canyon man! We both really enjoyed the day and would like to return in the winter when the restaurant is complete and the Grand Canyon has snow.
 

The Grand Canyon Skywalk and Guano Point!

	Heading north past Lake Arrowhead is often an adventure dodging air carrier traffic descending onto Ontario. This was one of three we were vectored around.
	I often have to dog leg at Hector VOR to avoid the restricted airspace.
	The Colorado River below as we make an 8001' pass over the west end of the Grand Canyon.
	The Grand Canyon
	The Grand Canyon
	The Grand Canyon
	The Grand Canyon
	The Grand Canyon
	The Skywalk from the air
	The Grand Canyon West Airport
	Final runway 17 landing at the Grand Canyon West Airport
	N4201B on the ramp at Grand Canyon West.
	Native dance by members of the Hualapai tribe.
	Native dance by members of the Hualapai tribe.
	The Skywalk is located at Eagle Point which is named after this rock formation. It doesn't take much imagination to see the eagle wings with the body in the middle.
	The Grand Canyon from Eagle Point.
	The Grand Canyon
	The Skywalk
	The Skywalk
	Notice the building being built on Eagle Point. It's going to house a nice restaurant and a hotel, I'd like to return when it's open. This picture was taken on March 22, 2008.
	On the Skywalk or Glass Bridge.
	The Grand Canyon 4000' feet below!
	I thought we had signed a treaty with the Hualapai tribe
	It looks like the Asian tour buses get the good food...
	... and us locals have to eat at the Guano Cafe. What's up with that? Guano (from the Quechua 'wanu', via Spanish) is the droppings of seabirds, bats, and seals.
	This picture was taken on the way to Guano Point which is about a 3/8 mile walk over fairly level ground.
	Helicopters passing under us at Guano Point
	Helicopters passing under us at Guano Point
	Mining the Guano, how and why? Here is a really good article! http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/it/2004/4/2004_4_34_print.shtml
	A tower which was built to mine Guano from Bat Cave. More info about this operation here.  http://www.meadview.info/batcave.htm
	Sneaking up on the edge of the Grand Canyon. I don't know who this woman is but found it funny. You'll see a lot of this. Look at the next picture.
	This is what it look like when you look over the edge.
	What up with this? Still wearing his Skywalk booties. Enough already!