Las Vegas is full of excitement with its bustling casinos, extravagant shows, and intoxicating nightlife. With so much to do in Sin City, it is hard to imagine wanting to discover areas outside the city. However, Las Vegas’s surrounding areas have a lot to offer. The ultimate day trip from Las Vegas includes a drive to Grand Canyon West Rim’s Skywalk and a stop at Hoover Dam.
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Car Rental in Las Vegas
Most people do not rent cars when visiting Las Vegas, opting to take taxis/ubers or walking as their main means of transportation. However, you will need to rent a car for the day. I advise picking up the car the night before because you will need to leave early. You can rent your car at McCarron International Airport. However, some hotels on The Strip have car renting services such as Hertz at Paris.
When to Start the Ultimate Day Trip from Las Vegas
You will need to wake up super early for day trip. I recommend leaving by 6:30am, but I know this is asking a lot. So I will just say leave as early as possible. Otherwise, you may have to cut out some time or sights, and then your excursion would be the Almost Ultimate Day Trip from Las Vegas.
Drive to Grand Canyon West and Skywalk
According to Google Maps, the drive 2 hours 10 minutes, but allow extra time for a quick breakfast stop and restroom break. About 40 minutes into your drive, you will cross Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, also known as the Hoover Dam Bypass. Hoover Dam is to your left at the bottom of the canyon, but you will not be able to see it as you drive by. You could stop here on your way to the Skywalk, but I recommend stopping on your way back to Las Vegas. This way you can get to the Grand Canyon in the morning while the weather is cooler.
As you cross the bridge, you are entering Arizona. You will drive another 40 minutes past the Hoover Dam Bypass before turning left onto Pierce Ferry Road. There will a large billboard indicated this is where you should turn. Turn right on Diamond Bar Rd., and continue straight on Eagle Point Rd.
Grand Canyon West and Skywalk
About Grand Canyon Skywalk
The Grand Canyon Skywalk was commissioned and paid for by the Hualapai Indian Tribe who owns the land. This horse-shoe shaped cantilever bridge with a glass bottom extends over the edge Grand Canyon West Rim 3,610 feet above the Colorado River. The Skywalk was opened in March 2007 and passed one million visitors in 2015.
Grand Canyon West and Skywalk Tickets
Since this land is located on Hualapai’s Tribal Lands, National Park Passes and Entrance Fees do not apply here. Upon arrival go into the Grand Canyon West Tour Center to purchase your tickets if you have not already purchased them online. You cannot buy just the Skywalk tickets. You must also purchase the General Admission ticket. General Admission starts at $49, and the Skywalk ticket is a $26 add-on. Ticket purchases include hop on/hop off shuttles to the Skywalk and viewpoints, which is the only way to access the tribal lands.
Eagle Point Viewpoint
After exiting the shuttle at Eagle Point, you will immediately see the Grand Canyon from its edge. If this is your first time seeing the Grand Canyon, be prepared to be in awe! There are signs that warn you to stay back from the edge, and a guard tried to make sure patrons do not get too close for their safety. Also at the Eagle Point Viewpoint is the location of the Skywalk and the Native American Village with replica dwellings.
Skywalk
Once you are ready for the Skywalk, walk inside the building. Before gaining access to the Skywalk, workers will take you to a locker room where you can lock up all your belongings. You are not allowed to bring any personal belongings onto the glass bridge including cameras or cell phones. Professional photographers will take pictures for you which you can purchase. Be aware that lines form at each photographer.
The Skywalk is made of 2.5-inch thick glass, so you can see the canyon directly below you. As you make your way around the cantilever bridge, take in all the views of the Grand Canyon and Colorado River. Look back at the Eagle Point area where you first walked to the Grand Canyon’s edge to see how close you were to a dangerous drop-off.
Guano Point
The second stop on the shuttle service is Guano Point. Take the “Highpoint Hike” to the top of pyramid-shaped boulder stack for epic 360-degree views of the Grand Canyon. As you circle the boulder stack, you will come across areas you have to walk that are only a couple feet from the canyon’s edge. Be super careful as there are no handrails or guardrails to prevent you from falling.
Lunch
All in all, plan on spending 3-4 hours at this Grand Canyon West destination. By this time, you will be hungry for lunch, and you have a couple options. For an $18 add-on to your ticket price, you can have lunch at one of the restaurants on the property. Your other option is to drive back to Boulder City for lunch, which is almost 2 hours away. This option is inconvenient because you will be eating lunch late, and you will have to pass Hoover Dam to get to Boulder City. However, you can eat lunch in Boulder City for much less than $18 per meal. The choice is yours.
Hoover Dam
About Hoover Dam
Hoover Dam was constructed during the Great Depression as a solution to controlling floods, providing water, and creating power to the area. The concrete arch-gravity dam, near Boulder City, holds Lake Mead, the largest reservoir by volume in the United States. Before construction could begin, the Colorado River had to be diverted. This was accomplished by creating four tunnels bored through the canyon walls, two on the Nevada side and two on the Arizona side. Two of these tunnels became the spillways.
Before opening in 2010, thru-traffic had to cross over the Hoover Dam. Combined with Hoover Dam visitors, traffic congestion in this area became unbearable. Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge, officially known as Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, was constructed as a solution.
Guided Powerplant Tour
The drive from Grand Canyon West to the Hoover Dam is just under 2 hours. Hoover Dam tours end at 5:00 pm, so I recommend arriving no later than 4:00 pm. The Guided Powerplant Tour tickets can be purchased online and include a walk through the original construction tunnels, access to a viewing platform, and views of the generators.
Hoover Dam Public Area
Even though the tours end at 5:00pm, Hoover Dam is open to the public until 9:00pm. After your Powerplant Tour, you can take your dam exploring Hoover Dam. Walk across the concrete dam to be on the structure holds back all the water pressure from Lake Mead. Look down the Colorado River to see the Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge that was completed in 2010. At the Arizona end of the dam, walk over the spillway tunnel, which looks like a large dark hole with no end. (This always freaks me out a little.)
Hoover Dam Bridge Pedestrian Walkway
Follow signs to the Boulder Dam Bridge parking. From here, enjoy a short walk from the parking lot across the Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge for the best aerial views of Hoover Dam.
Drive Back After Your Ultimate Day Trip from Las Vegas
Make the 40 minute drive back to Las Vegas. If you haven’t exhausted the day’s sunlight yet, stop at Lake Mead pullouts for views of the reservoir. Once back in the city, return your car, and enjoy a well-deserved dinner. This is a long, packed day, but well worth the extensive travels. In one ultimate day trip from Las Vegas, you will have seen Arizona’s grandest landmark as well as many man-made structures considered engineering feats. What an epic day!
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