Grand Canyon Skywalk - 4 Things to Know Before Visiting

The Grand Wash Cliffs extend south-southeast from the Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument in northwest Arizona west of the Shivwits Plateau south through the Grand Cliffs Wilderness and into the Lake Mead Recreation Area. The Grand Wash Cliffs cross the Grand Canyon where the Colorado River enters Lake Mead. To the south of the Grand Canyon the Grand Wash Cliffs continue past the east side of Grapevine Mesa and then southeast above and east of the Hualapai Valley.

The Grapevine Mesa Joshua Trees forest was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1967. 3,206 acres owned by the Federal government, the forest contains the best existing display of Joshua trees in the United States. This site is also a superb example Mojave Desert ecology.

Parashant National Monument is a rugged and wild land. The vast, wild landscape of desert cactus, sheer canyon walls, soaring raptors, tall ponderosa pines, isolated cattle corrals and line shacks, lone cowboys, and rugged rock formations set against endless blue skies inspire those who seek it out. There are a number of ruins of former Mormon settlements in the area, such as the Oak Grove Dairy.

The Black Mesa of northwestern Arizona is the extreme southern section of the Black Mountains. It is a notable mountain section, since the entire Warm Springs Wilderness comprises the entire mesa; it is separated to the north from the Black Hills range by a canyon and road; the north side of the canyon is the southern border of the adjacent Mount Nutt Wilderness, thus comprising a two-sectioned wilderness region.

This remote 37,030-acre wilderness is a 12-mile long stretch of the Grand Wash Cliffs. It encompasses escarpments, canyons, and sandstone buttes that make up the transition zone between the Colorado Plateau and the Basin and Range Province. Vegetation includes an assortment of Mojave Desert shrubs below the cliffs as well as a pinyon-juniper woodland above. Wildlife in the area include gila monsters, desert tortoise, and desert bighorn sheep.

Whitmore Canyon is a 73.6 mile off-road haul to the Colorado River. This trail begins just south of St. George, Utah and will take approximately 3-5 hours one way. The first 67 miles of the trail follow several flat dirt roads where 4WD is not needed. You will pass Mt. This section of trail should be passable in any stock 4WD vehicle, barring any inclement weather. But it is quite bumpy, and airing down is recommended.