Las Vegas Daytrip: West Rim of the Grand Canyon
In addition, there are numerous natural places to visit such as Death Valley, Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks, Red Rock Canyon, Valley of Fire, and Hoover Dam. We have a tour boat on Lake Mead, places where you can rent houseboats, river raft trips down the Colorado River, and more. And, everybody knows about the North and South Rims of the Grand Canyon.
However, here is a daytrip to an area that visitors seldom go – The West Rim of the Grand Canyon.
The road to this location is paved most of the way. But, there is a stretch about eighteen miles long that is, to say the least, rudimentary. It is little more than a graded path strewn with rocks and boulders. In good weather, it is passable by any vehicle. It is regularly transited by trucks and tour busses. But, when it rains or there is snow on the ground, one needs to have a four-wheel-drive vehicle and knowledge of how to traverse rough terrain. So, before you leave, check out conditions to determine what kind of vehicle you want to take.
To get there, leave Las Vegas via Us 93/95. You will go through Henderson and cross Railroad Pass, the site of The Railroad Pass Hotel and Casino, the oldest continually operating gaming establishment in Nevada.
There is an interesting story about this place. Back when the Boulder Dam project was started, the contractors built a city to house the workers and their families. In conjunction with the federal government, the city was “dry” meaning that one could only buy weak beer and wine, no gambling was permitted, and the “ladies of the evening” legal everywhere else in the State of Nevada were forbidden to ply their trade. The Railroad Pass Casino was located just outside of the Boulder City limits and provided all the forbidden vices.
Following the signs, go through Boulder City and cross Hoover Dam to enter the State of Arizona. On the top of the hill on the other side of the dam is a snack shop that provides an excellent view of the dam and the huge bypass tunnels. From that point, you will travel many miles under and around the massive construction project to build a bridge that will cross The Colorado above the canyon and the dam.
At milepost 46, you will see a souvenir shop on the west side of the highway just north of the turnoff to Arizona Highway 25, well marked as the entrance to the West Rim, the town of Dolan Springs, and the road to Pearce Ferry. There is a very long stretch of 25mph speed limits and one is advised to adhere to them, the local County Sheriff loves to add to his coffers. Dolan Springs has several places to buy gasoline, food and drinks.
The next twenty miles are well paved and have a 45mph speed limit. Again, don’t get lulled by the open spaces. This road is well surveyed by local police and the speed limit is to allow you not to run into the many cows you will see roaming freely. It also allows one to not drive past the next turnoff leading to the West Rim. It is at the crest of a hill and leads off to the right. It is a dirt road routinely maintained by the county with a road grader and goes through one of the largest “forests” of Joshua Trees in the west.
These tall (some growing over 30 feet) plants are really not trees. They are a member of the Yucca family which is the same genus as lilies. They are also ugly close up. The unique thing about them is that they live between 2,000 and 6,000 feet, with some subspecies limited to a narrow altitude band. They also pollinated by the Yucca Moth and are closely interdependent.
There is no water once you leave Dolan Springs until you reach the buildings at the West Rim so make sure you carry plenty with you.
You literally drive up a wide dry riverbed, so be cautious and watch for boulders and even cattle in the road. It is one of the wildest areas you can find anywhere in the Western United States and will be something you will never forget.
The West Rim is part of the Hualapai Indian Reservations and, the moment you enter it, the dirt road becomes paved and enjoyable to drive. You are also above the 6,000 foot level and the Joshua Trees are replaced by Pinion and White Pine. Pinion Nuts were and still are a staple of the local inhabitants. It isn’t far until you reach the airport and the Visitor’s Center.
The airport services tour flights from King Air, among others, and also has helicopter flights over and down into the canyon. The Hualapai are one tribe of the Ute Nation and their name means “people far down the river”. The provide a bus tour to Guano Point with many stops along the rim of the canyon. None of it is fenced or walled off so one stands at the very edge of the precipice with no safeguards whatever.
Guano Point is named for the massive tower terminal that was built upon it. At one time, many bat caves on the far side of the canyon, more than two miles away, contained huge amounts of bat manure which was highly prized as fertilizer. A cable was stretched across the two miles to carry workers in buckets from one side to the other. It was a highly profitable operation until commercial artificial fertilizers came one the market. It became run down and the cable no longer spans the canyon. It is, however a breath taking place to view Nature’s construction of a truly spectacular sight.
The Hualapai provide food for the visitors and there are always locals selling native crafts. You can stay as long as you want and the bus runs back and forth on a regular basis.
You can leave the area the way you came or via another road to Peach Springs, the tribal community of the Hualapai. There are some caverns nearby and you can either go to Seligman, Arizona on the famous Route 66 or to Kingman. From Kingman, it’s not a long drive to Laughlin, Nevada with lots of hotel/casinos if you want to stay the night. Or. You can simply return by the highway to Henderson and Las Vegas.
An enjoyable trip and one you will never forget.
