Hike between the steep canyon walls of colorful sculpted sandstone at Georgia’s Providence Canyon State Park.
Reminiscent of a southwestern US landscape, Providence Canyon’s
colorful, sculpted canyon walls carve deep through this landscape near
the Alabama border. The hiking trails at this Georgia State Park wind
and weave through vibrantly-colored, carved canyons, exploring an
ever-evolving landscape of sandstone and trickling water.
The park’s unusually sculpted, serpentine canyon walls have dubbed
its nickname as Georgia’s “Little Grand Canyon” – and though these
canyons are far smaller scale than the Arizona giant, this hike is a
unique adventure unlike any other in Georgia.
The Providence Canyon Recreation Area offers 3 miles of blazed hiking
trails – including a white-blazed trail that treks the canyon’s rim and
floor and a red-blazed backcountry trail. The rim and canyon trails
offer outstanding views of the sculpted sandstone canyon walls from
above and within the depths of the canyon. The orange, white, pink and
deep purple canyon walls tower up to 150 feet above the wet, sandy
canyon floor below.
The canyon floor trail descends the Providence Canyon visitor center
trailhead, switching back as it descends to the canyon floor. The trail
levels at the canyon floor, joining a sandy riverbed, turning left here
to hike the nine numbered canyons accessible on the trail.
The hike follows stream beds on the canyon floor, the flowing water
carrying sand from the canyon walls. Grain by grain, sand has flowed
away from Providence’s walls, creating the spectacular rock formations
that tower nearly vertically over the trail. (The trail surface is often
water-saturated – wear a lightweight hiking boot to grab traction on
the canyon’s wet, sandy trails.)
Unlike the canyon’s exceptionally larger cousin in Arizona,
Providence Canyon’s walls are formed of fragile, crumbling sandstone. To
preserve the fragile geology (and for safety), hikers should stay on
blazed trails and off the canyon walls.
Georgia is full of incredible outdoor experiences, if your family is looking to relocate to Georgia, call MJ Thomas of Keller Williams Realty. She is a Georgia Relocation expert and can help you find the perfect place to call home. www.movingwithmj.com.
GPS Coordinates
32.068647, -84.914480 (N32 04.119 W84 54.869)
