[unreal37]

I see the point you're making. I've been to the Grand Canyon, and it's difficult to get to. Even off the main road, it's 30 slow miles over unpaved dusty, bumpy road to get to the Western rim. If night falls, you're in tough shape because the road is unlit. If you are low on gas, or need a break, there's no place to stop. Even in 2015, the canyon is hard to get to.

But to turn it into a mini-Las Vegas would be a crime.

You can't turn nature into a tourist trap. There's no way the two can co-exist, and nature would lose. It's difficult to get to, yes. But that's the charm of it.

[shas3]

The 'western rim' is not inside the National Park [1]. The 'legit' Grand Canyon, the one covered by the National Park is very accessible (the rim)!

[1] http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/skywalk.htm

[anomicron]

SkyWalk is a tourist trap, expensive as hell. You are not even allowed cameras on the actual skywalk, so you have to buy their photos. The skywalk itself is an inslut to nature. I hope I knew a way of getting to the Canyon from Las Vegas without having to pay this robbers.

[sosborn]

> inslut

Probably not intended, but this is a great word to use in this instance.

[avn2109]

>> "...it's difficult to get to."

I'm surprised that nobody else has brought this up: No less an authority on matters arid and wild than Edward Abbey has written extensively [0-1] on the inaccessibility and remoteness of the Grand Canyon. If I had to sum up his position on this topic, it might be "That's the point."

[0] http://www.amazon.com/Desert-Solitaire-A-Season-Wilderness/d...

[1] http://www.amazon.com/The-Monkey-Wrench-Gang-P-S/dp/00611297...

[cbd1984]

> If I had to sum up his position on this topic, it might be "That's the point."

Yes, because only the able-bodied should be able to enjoy the richness of the region.

[m741]

You can simply drive to the rim. The entire path around the rim is paved and handicap-accessible. You can take a mule into the canyon. It's difficult to get to only in the sense that you must drive for several hours from any nearby city to reach the area.

[prawn]

Exactly, it's remote but it's not inaccessible. The same is true of Yosemite, Death Valley, Yellowstone, Arches, etc.

[sstrudeau]

The example of exactly this happening at Niagara Falls was part of the impetus for the National Park System in the first place.