Stewart County GaArchives Photo Place.....Little Grand Canyon ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Christine Thacker http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00033.html#0008100 May 15, 2007, 1:38 pm Source: Sesquicentennial Supplement III (Columbus Ledger Enquirer) Photo can be seen at: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/stewart/photos/littlegr12850gph.jpg Image file size: 165.4 Kb Largest in Eastern U.S. Canyons in Their Infancy By Harry Franklin Enquirer Staff Writer Georgia's Little Grand Canyons, seven miles west of Lumpkin on Georgia Highway 39, present a spectacular kaieidoscope of color - a photographer's dream. Said to be the largest and finest canyons of their type in the Eastern United States, Providence Canyons are from a geologic standpoint..... in their infancy. While it took millions of years to form the Grand Canyon in Arizona, this Southwest Georgia attraction was turned from a tiny stream to a series of massive canyons in less than 150 years. No one knows exactly when the canyons began forming, though the period from 1830 to 1850 is believed to be close. Around 1900, little if any of the largest canyons, Nos. 1 and 2, had been eroded. So in less than 80 years, huge amounts of earth were washed away. In fact, a much-used road crossed the present site of No. 2 canyon at the turn of the century. While the date of their origin is uncertain, park Superintendent Robert F. Baxter said recently that the canyons owe their existence to unchecked erosion, to water washing off surrounding farmland and forming a trench that gradually enlarged. Several types of soil layers make up the canyon structure, including, at the canyon bottom the Ripley formation, a dark, fine-grain clay approximately 135 feet thick; Providence sands, pastel-colored sands which highlight the canyons' beauty; and the Clayton formation, fine to medium clay-like sand from five to 25 feet thick. Frequently turned up by erosion are chunks of iron ore - limonite and hematite, common to this old iron mining region. Providence Canyons opened as a state park on July 1, 1971, after the state purchased more than 1,000 acres of area land. Included in the park purchase were 16 canyons covering 150 acres, only nine of which are commonly used by the public. At the deepest point, the canyons are only 150 feet, though that depth looks awesome from the rim of the larger canyons. To make the canyons more accessible to the park's 120,000 to 150,000 annual visitors, the state has laid out more than 10,000 feet of trail in and around the nine main canyons, and put in 8,000 feet of fence around the upper rim to protect viewers. The trail includes two or three miles of sandbars which wind like snakes along the canyon floor. In places, the sand becomes very soft and even forms quicksand. Besides the sandy beauty, an attraction which draws thousands of visitors is the wildflowers. Baxter said more than 50 varieties of wildflowers, "Including some of the Endangere Specles, can be found in full bloom along the canyon trails. The canyons are not void of animal life either. Baxter pointed out that deer, bobcat, rabbits, quail, squirrels, raccoon, fox, and possums inhabit the park. Snakes native to the region can be found, but principally in park areas and canyons not frequented by visitors. Baxter, who has been superintendent since the park opened, pointed out that many unusual things can be found in the canyons, including stalactite-like formations of sand drippings along the canyon walls. Other curiosities include a sheet-like identation referred to as an inscription on King Tut's tomb that can be found on the walls during a rainstorm; a sand formatlonin No. 7 canyon known as "Ships in the Harbor," because of its unique shape; and a rare hornet's nest built into the side of a canyon wall. Improvements since the park opened include a new paved entrance and parking lot at the Interpretive Center, which opened in May; picnic and recreation facilities; and interesting displays inside the center. Sen. Hugh Carter of Plains, who introduced the legislation in the Georgia General Assembly to create the park, can be proud of what has been accomplished here. Like Seward's Folly, this environmental disaster has turned into a monumental tourist blessing disguise. Special Sesquicentennial Supplement III Ledger- Enquirer, Sunday, April 30, 1978,pg S-4. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/stewart/photos/littlegr12850gph.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/ File size: 4.9 Kb