Grand Canyon Skywalk observation deck

They have opened a new, horseshoe-shaped observation deck 70 feet beyond the rim of one of the Grand Canyon's cliffs. The Skywalk can support the weight of a few hundred people and will withstand wind up to 100 mph. The observation deck has a 3-inch-thick glass bottom and has been equipped with shock absorbers to keep it from bouncing like a diving board as people walk on it.


I'm sure it will be all the buzz, but I know I will not step foot upon it..


The Skywalk has created debate amongst the Hualapai..


The entire article here

And interestingly enough, two German firms supplied the glass.

Kinon Porz, a firm in Cologne, supplied the 55mm think security glass. And Glas Döring from Berlin did the parapet.

Das Glas über dem Grand Canyon kommt aus Köln

oh i saw a report on this on t.v. last night. pretty freaky. i forgot how much it costs to take a look-see. isn't there a 30 million dollar price tag on the thing?

of course the german journalists also made fun of the americans who took helicopters tours, asking them questions while the helicopters were landing and taking off. their question was "isn't it too loud to enjoy nature" (or something like that).

Not sure about the peach-coloured paint...

I saw it on the news last night. It's not that big. Dunno how it cost $30M for crissakes?? Its a bit lump of metal with a glass floor.

The glass has to reinforced 15 billion times (approximately); I guess that costs a lot of money. The glass section on the floor of the CN Tower observation deck has apparently been reinforced so many times that it's actually stronger than the concrete floor around the rest of the deck. But it still makes you nervous because you can see through it to the ground below.

Looks like a bit of a blot on the landscape to me. I've done a helicopter tour of the Canyon - that's great because you can fly down into the canyon and around the crags, and you get to see a good stretch of it. The approach to the canyon was also breathtaking, because the helicopter was flying low over the treetops of the forest, and the canyon wasn't visible until we were practically above it and this vast chasm suddenly opened up below.

It's probably trying to match the rock. Some of the rock is that color, but yes it's ugly.

The GC is already super touristy, this isn't going to help. You can see quite well from the rim and if not then hike! You don't have to go all the way down, you can do as much as you want- even a measly 10meters down and back up.

on some news report it was said that the main reason for building this ramp was to create jobs (ca. 300) to the people living in the area. apparently there is a high unemployment rate. if that is true, then i think the ramp is a good idea. as i am in the area next month, i am actually thinking of whether i should go to that ramp. it will depend on whether i can overcome the fear of heights...

It's the local Indian tribe that has constructed it and will therefore reap the economic benefits. Not sure where the 300 jobs will be coming from though.

I still think the best way to see it is to hike into it, walk around it, and/or river raft through it. Seems kind of strange to me to have a manmade thing to stand on to admire this natural phenomenon. I hung out at the Grand Canyon years ago with my first true love And sitting, just the two of us, at the edge of the canyon on sandstone, letting the quiet breeze ruffle our hair -- probably a bit different than shuffling along a couple of feet of a constructed thing with dozens of other tourists.

wow! you are a lucky woman, I thought there could only ever be one true love! if it didnt happen for whatever reason, it could not have been true, oder?

I wonder when the first person (not looking at any TT'ers in particular) is going to basejump off it?

"take care"

Am spaced out, anyone know who Yeti is talking about?

Nope. Just get a big empty void on that question and I mean big, you just won't believe how big it is ...

reporting back, i didn't go on the Grand Canyon Skywalk as i found the view was great anyway and i didn't need to walk over it to get a feel for the place. they charge 25 Dollars to get on it, you are not allowed to take your own photos instead they take one of you and charge you another 15 Dollars. i spoke to other tourists on my tour bus who walked on it and they said it was great.
if you pay by cash, you can pay at the skywalk itself and decide whether you want to go on it or not.
if you pay with creditcard, you have to pay at the reservation visitor center at the entrance of the reservation.
in regards to the brown/pink colour of the skywalk, when you are there, the paint blends in with its surrounding.

(will try to post my pics tomorrow)

I have acrophobia, you couldn't pay me enough to go out on that "limb"

That says it all right there. In fact in my view "great" is an understatement.
I did not bother to go to see this deck thingy.

This was recently posted on Digg:

Grand Canyon Skywalk is a rip off

Apparently, it's supposed to cost $25, but that's just what the tour company charges you. According to the link above, the reservation then charges you another $50.

The Grand Canyon wasn't my favourite 'spot' on my trip but i guess that is my personal opinion.

I can't upload my pics (as usual), sorry.