( CNN ) -- The global list of incredible viewing platforms designed to elevate your heart rate continues to grow , with Canada 's Glacier Skywalk the latest gravity-defying walkway to welcome tourists . Jutting 35 meters out the side of a cliff on Jasper National Park 's Icefields Parkway , the glass-floored observation walkway hangs 280 meters above Sunwapta Canyon . It opened to tourists May 1 after five years of design , two years of seasonal construction and a reported cost of CAD $ 21 million ( $ 19 million ) . In addition to the incredible views , owner Brewster Travel Canada says the attraction has an educational side . A 400-meter-long Discovery Trail cliff-edge walkway leading up to the glass platform includes multi-sensory interactive experiences centered around the glaciology , biology and ecology of Canada 's Columbia Icefield region . Visitors must take a five-minute bus transfer from the Columbia Icefield Glacier Discovery Centre to access the Skywalk , which is an hour from the town of Jasper in the Canadian Rockies . The Glacier Skywalk is open daily , May through October . Price of tickets is CAD $ 24.95 for adults and CAD $ 12.50 for children . To see how it stacks up against other global viewpoints , check out the gallery on the left . Environmentalists oppose commercial development . Not everyone is thrilled with the Glacier Skywalk . Canada 's CBC website quoted Sean Nicholson of the Alberta Wilderness Association as saying this type of development does n't belong in national parks . `` They represent almost a taking over of the management of the park in a sense by commercial interests , which we do n't think is a good thing for the wildlife that live there and the ecosystem in general , '' Nicholson said . Prior to the build , Brewster Travel Canada says it commissioned a 169-page environmental assessment , including a study on wildlife and vegetation . `` The assessment was reviewed by Parks Canada officials and was deemed acceptable within Parks Canada 's policy framework governing the management and protection of our national parks , '' said the company . The motivation behind approving the Skywalk was to make the area more attractive to tourists , said Parks Canada in a statement . `` Parks Canada needs to become more relevant to more Canadians by providing services and activities that respond to a broader range of visitor needs and expectations , '' it said . That sentiment is perhaps behind the recent news that the government body is planning to bring WiFi hotspots to at least 50 of its parks this year , claiming visitors want to be able to stay connected even in the great outdoors . Responding to widespread negative reaction to the plan , a Parks Canada official told CTV news that the wireless zones would be restricted to visitor centers and campgrounds -- `` not in the wilderness , and not in the back country . ''
Canada 's new Glacier Skywalk hangs 280 meters above Sunwapta Canyon in Jasper National Park . The Canadian Rockies are home to some of the most spectacular scenery on Earth. Alberta Wilderness Association says such developments do n't belong in national parks .