What is up with the West Rim of the Grand Canyon and how do I get there from Las Vegas?

Answer 1

Strictly speaking, there is no such thing as the 'West Rim'. The canyon has only two sides - the North Rim and the South Rim. The term 'West Rim' is a somewhat misleading marketing term for the area of the canyon on the Hualapai Indian Reservation just upstream from Lake Mead. This area is more correctly known as 'Grand Canyon West'.

Grand Canyon West includes a small airport (and heliport), a fake 'western town' and 'Indian village', a petting zoo and two canyon overlooks - Guano Point and Eagle Point. Eagle Point is where the glass 'Skywalk' is located. This is a u-shaped glass walkway extending over the edge of a small side canyon off the main gorge. There is no gas station, store or other facilities beyond the few tourist items mentioned above.

It is important to note that Grand Canyon West is NOT part of Grand Canyon National Park, nor is it any where near it (Grand Canyon National Park is far upstream to the east). While the canyon is still scenic and impressive at Grand Canyon West, it is not a big and deep as in the park and it does not have the distinctive 'Inner Gorge' that makes the landscape in the park so interesting. Most of the famous trails, buildings and rock formations that you have heard about and seen pictures of are in the park area.

Also, while Grand Canyon National Park is a park with a chartered goal of allowing the public to experience nature while Grand Canyon West is a purely commercial venture aimed at generating money as a tourist attraction. You can wander and roam all over the park at will - you are NOT allowed to hike or wander around Grand Canyon West - you must stay at the handful of specified locations. And while you can get into the park for $25 per car, Grand Canyon West requires a complicated 'package' deal - the most common one costs about $80 per person.

I have been to both the North Rim and the South Rim many time and I was at Grand Canyon West last spring shortly after the Skywalk opened. I found Grand Canyon West to be over-priced, very cheesy and touristy, poorly ran, and no where near as scenic as the main canyon in the park to the east (there is a reason they located the national park where they did).

Don't get me wrong, I very much sympathize with the Hualapai Indians whose reservation has a lot of poverty and which can't compete with nearby Las Vegas on casinos. I agree with their right to use their land and its attractions to improve their situation, but (in my opinion) they have allowed the Las Vegas promoters who designed and help run the operations to set a very low standard.

I much prefer the national park - both for the views, the emphasis on nature and scenery, and the freedom to roam and hike. Some people that visit GC West enjoy it, but many visitors go away feeling disappointed or ripped off (many of the promotions about the glass skywalk are very misleading - it is NOT over the Colorado River and it is NOT a 4000 foot drop below).

As for how to get there... the poster above has the roads and you can also get them from the official GC West website (see below). It is about a 2 hour drive from Kingman. Most of the road is paved 2-lane roads, but there is one stretch of very dusty and washboardy dirt road near the end. You could travel it in a passenger car during good weather, but it will be very slow and dusty.

I strongly recommend that you do some more research and read the reviews of Grand Canyon West and the Skywalk from TripAdvisor and other sites before spending the considerable time and money required to get there.

Answer 2

There is a west rim and that is where you can walk on a glass sky walk out over the canyon. There is a north and south rim. Most people go to the south rim as it is the widest point of the canyon and more easily accessible than the other rims. You can drive yourself or you can pay for a bus, helicopter or airplane tour. I just took the bus tour to the south rim last week and enjoyed it thoroughly as I could sleep, read and enjoy the scenery without driving. In any case, it is an all day trip. Most tours include a stop at Hoover Dam and/or Siegman (an historical town on Route 66).
Be careful of the slick sales people at hotel or Vegas information stops. Check the Internet for the tour companies, costs, and itineraries and choose one that that suits your interests and budget if you decide to tour. Give yourself plenty of time if you drive. The directions given so far are correct. Have fun.

Answer 3

There is a "west rim" in addition to the north and south rims. It is not as well known as the south rim, which is where most visitors go. I've been to the south rim and can recommend it as being spectacular. However, it is a fairly long drive from Las Vegas and can't realistically be done as a day trip.

To get to the west rim, take US-93 south from Las Vegas. There are frequent backups at Hoover Dam due to heavy traffic and security checks, so allow plenty of time. Approximately 40 miles south of Hoover Dam, turn north on Pierce Ferry Rd. After approximately 28 miles, turn east onto Diamond Bar Rd. This will take you to the west rim.

I have not driven this personally, but I have read that part of the trip is unpaved and driving it in a rental car may violate your contract. You may want to check this further before trying it if you are not using your own vehicle. There is a park-and-ride service that operates from Meadview (along Pierce Ferry Rd.), so you can also drive there and take a shuttle the rest of the way.

You can probably find a tour that departs from Las Vegas if you would rather not drive.

For more information, check www.grandcanyon.com

Answer 4

You take US 95 and head toward William AZ, about three hours. But cross the dam these days can be very slow but faster than the extra time to go through Laughlin.

The south rim is in AZ, the north in UT. The Canyon in AZ now has a beautiful horseshoe glass botttom loop that lets you look at the canyon from ahigh but it is on Indian Land and not free. You can walk down the canyon but it is a long way down and back. You can go on a donkey ride. Both are all day trips. If you make plans in advance there is a way to take a trip down, spend the night at a lodge and coming back the next day. There is also a helicopter ride from Vegas to Grand Canyon but that is at laest $250.

Answer 5

There is no "west" rim, there is a south rim and a north rim.

To get to the south rim (the main lodge, camping, tourist area) of the national park: Take US-93 (I-515) south out of Vegas, and turn onto US-95 right after you hit railroad pass. Take US-95 down to Laughlin, cross the Colorado river and take an immediate left. Follow this Arizona highway 68 over the hills until you reach Kingman (back to US-93). In Kingman turn onto I-40 East. Take I-40 east to Williams. Turn at Williams onto AZ-64 and follow the signs to the Grand Canyon.

It's about 4-5 hours from Vegas.

Alternately you could take US-93 all the way from Vegas to Kingman, but Hoover Dam is still slow-going due to security checks and construction of the new bypass road. Laughlin is only 10 miles more distance, but at least 1/2 hour shorter, timewise.

To get to the north rim of the canyon -- I would suggest using Mapquest or Google maps.

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Answer 6

The "West Rim" isn't area of Grand Canyon national Park, subsequently you may't locate that front on the map. it incredibly is a factor of the Hualapai Reservation and is extremely high priced. in case you wist to bypass to Zion, Bryce and Grand Canyon national Parks, you will locate the north front to Grand Canyon to be lots extra lifelike. you may bypass Zion, Bryce, GC and returned to Las Vegas. For longer routes, the super question is time. How lots do you have and how lots do you prefer to spend using.