How I Turned A Las Vegas Girls Trip into A Grand Canyon Hiking Dream

In December, my best friend asked me if I wanted to go on a girls trip with her and 2 other friends to Vegas. I was a bit hesitant because the last time I went to Las Vegas, I needed a vacation after the vacation. BUT my best friend promised this one would be different and when I saw her text mentioning the words hiking and maybe The Grand Canyon , I was 1000% in! At the time, I really didn’t think we were going to make a 5 and a half hour trip to Grand Canyon National Park happen. Spoiler Alert: we didn’t . We made a 2.5 hour trip to The West Rim happen instead.

Grand Canyon West, or The West Rim, as some like to call it is located on the Hualapai Native American Indian Reservation. Because it is on sacred Indian land, it is NOT a part of Grand Canyon National Park. But please don’t make the mistake of thinking that means the views are any way somehow less breathtaking. It is also home to the Sky Walk, a 10 foot wide horseshoe shaped glass bridge that extends 70 feet out over the rim of the canyon and hovers a monumental 4000 feet above it. I had an AMAZING trip to the west rim because I came prepared. I did my research and planned ahead. I wanted to share my experience with you so you can have a once in a lifetime trip too.

Getting there

My friends and I rented a car to make the drive to Arizona. From our hotel in Las Vegas to the parking lot of the Hualapai Indian Reservation in Arizona was about 121 miles or approximately 2 hours and 30 min drive.

The drive was magnificent. The stuff road trip dreams are made of — every turn was a sight to see. Fields of endless cacti, mountains, valleys, desert, and waves of orange and red that splashed across every crevice.

All of the roads were nicely paved and very easy to navigate. However, this drive is not for the faint of heart. There are plenty of curves, cliffs, and ledges you must cross and the driver needs to be ALERT and make sure to take on curves slowly and follow all warning signs. Please DO NOT attempt this drive at night or alone. Also, make sure you have a full tank of gas before making this journey. If driving isn’t your cup of tea, there are also plenty of tours and shuttle services you can find that will pick you up from the Las Vegas strip.

Pit stops

This may come as a shocker but there aren’t too many places to stop in the middle of the Arizona desert. We stopped off at Hoover Dam to check out one of America’s modern marvels. It’s free to visit the dam, but note that parking is $10. The bridge makes for a great photo op and it’s about a 30 minute drive outside of Las Vegas. We also made a pit stop at a Chevron gas station in Peach, Springs which is truly in the middle of no where. The Chevron has really clean bathrooms and is about 30 mins from Grand Canyon West. Also a great place to stock up on snacks 👌🏾.

Clothing

I suggest work out clothes or athleisure of some sort plus a windbreaker and tennis shoes. I wore high waisted legings, a matching tank and windbreaker with my tennis shoes and high socks. I also brought an extra long sleeve shirt for layering which came in handy early in the morning. Please note that the temperature was a low in the mid 40s and a high somewhere in the 60s when I visited. I went in early February so those temperatures were pretty chilly for the area.

What to bring

I would suggest bringing sunglasses, phone, water, sunscreen and money for shopping in a small backpack or lightweight tote. You can also bring outside food and water in as well. Less is more on this trip so keep it minimal.

The Tour

The Reservation has several different tour packages to choose from. Almost all of them are self-guided and go at your own pace, which I personally love. I suggest buying online before you get there so you can avoid the line in the beginning. If you’re feeling extra adventurous, Grand Canyon West also has rafting, helicopter tours, ziplining, boats, floats and horse back riding. We purchased the legacy gold pass which included: Access to all 3 viewpoints, hop on/hoop off shuttle, the skywalk, and a meal of our choice. My ticket totaled $80 with tax. The 3 look out points include:

• 

• 

• 

The Sky Walk

Built in 2007, “this engineering marvel has unparalleled views” of the Canyon. Unfortunately, there are NO cell phones, cameras, smart watches, backpacks, or other personal belongings allowed on The Sky Walk. You are able to lock all of your belongings in free lockers before you get outside. The one thing you can bring is your sunglasses. You also have to put shoe covers on before you walk out to avoid scuffing or scratching the immaculate sky walk floor.

The first step onto the sky walk is frightening to say the least. However, once you get your footing its an adrenal rush to walk across the bridge in one quick pass looking down below. It is almost as if you are flying like one of the Ravens that call the canyon home. It’s not surprising that they have their own photographers to take pictures of you on the Sky Walk. The pictures are $16 per print or $66 for the flash drive of all your pics. We took some pretty cute shots so the flash drive was a no brainer and in all honesty, the price point isn’t too bad!

Tips

• You will loose cell service about 1.5 hrs into the trip. There is also no service on the actual reservation itself.
• Time Change: Grand Canyon West is on Mountain Standard Time. Arizona does not observe Daylight Saving Time so during winter months, Grand Canyon West is a full hour ahead of Las Vegas.
• Plan to spend ATLEAST 3 hours, I wish we had more time.
• Every visitor is required to purchase the Legacy Package.
• The meals on the reserve were surprisingly good when I had them. I had the pork ribs, baked beans, white rice, and a cookie.

In conclusion, I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to Grand Canyon West! The sites surpassed my expectations and I’m so thrilled I was finally able to cross one of the seven wonders of the world off my bucket list. Above all, the versatility of this day trip is what made it stand out for me. We were able to enjoy all the luxuries of Las Vegas AND the great outdoors – best of both worlds. For instance, most trips to the Grand Canyon involve sleeping in a a tent or “glamping”. I’m not about that life so this was the perfect solution for me!

Similarly, I also felt that I got the most bang for my buck with the tour package I chose. Not to mention, I love that I am able to support the Hualapai people while exploring their sacred lands. I hope you found this guide helpful and please leave any questions for me about this trip in the comments.