Mar 16 2008
10) What animals might people see on a trip to Grand Canyon West? Grand Canyon West is home to a variety of wildlife including Desert Big Horn Sheep, Mule Deer, Coyotes, Gray Foxes, Mountain Lions, Bobcats, Burros, Eagles and Red-Tailed Hawks to name a few.
11) Does Grand Canyon West use any "green" energy?
Grand Canyon West’s main terminal and the guest facility at Guano Point are partially powered by solar panels. Researchers are also using Eagle Point as a testing ground for new wind power technologies.
12) Do the Hualapai work with other Native American tribes?
Grand Canyon West offers an experience that includes multiple tribes in the region and educates the public on the differences in customs and culture. Representatives from the Navajo, Havasupai, and Hopi (to name a few) haul in materials from their reservations and build their tribe’s traditional dwellings in the “Indian Village” for visitors to explore. There are also dancers from these tribes that perform daily for the visitors.
13) Is there really a glass walkway that hangs over the Canyon?
Yes, Grand Canyon West is home the Grand Canyon Skywalk, which is a glass walkway that is nearly three times as high as the tallest building in the world (approximately 4000 feet above the canyon’s floor). The Skywalk opened to the public on March 28, 2007.
14) Who was the first to walk on the Grand Canyon Skywalk?
The first person to walk on the Grand Canyon Skywalk publicly was one of the first men to walk on the moon, Buzz Aldrin. Also to walk during the "First Walk" ceremony was the first Native American in space, John Bennett Herrington, who led the Tribal leaders to greet Buzz Aldrin at the apex of the walkway. History was made.
15) Do the Hualapai offer rafting in the Grand Canyon?
The Hualapai operate the only one-day whitewater rafting trip down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon called Hualapai River Runners. The rapids scale from class 3 to 7 and the trip ends with a helicopter flight to the top of Grand Canyon West.
16) Are there movies filmed at Grand Canyon West?
Multiple blockbuster films have been taped at Grand Canyon West most recently were "Into the Wild" with Sean Penn and "Next" starring Nicholas Cage.
17) Where did Robbie Knievel jump over the Canyon?
On May 20, 1999 Robbie Knievel jumped a distance of 228 feet over a 2500-foot deep side-canyon at Grand Canyon West. It has since become one of his most famous successful jumps.
18) Is there really a viewpoint at Grand Canyon West named after bat droppings?
Yes, one of three viewpoints at Grand Canyon West, Guano Point, is named after an old guano (bat droppings) mine that operated in the 1930’s. Guano was used primarily as a fertilizer because it is extremely rich in minerals. Daring miners would hoist hundreds of pounds of guano across the Colorado River up to the present day Guano Point. The ruins of the mine and pulley system still remain, visitors can walk right up and touch them.
19) Are there cowboys at Grand Canyon West?
Yes, the Hualapai Ranch is a Wild West town that has cowboys that guide horseback rides along the Grand Canyon and even give lessons in roping and axe throwing.
20) Where is the closest airport to Grand Canyon West?
Grand Canyon West has had an onsite airport from the very beginning. Originally, there was just a small dirt air strip, now there is an airport that accommodates nearly 30 tour companies with a 5,000-foot paved runway and 10 helipads.
Information Courtesy: destinationgrandcanyon.com
