Georgia's Little Grand Canyon

Providence Canyon State Park in Lumpkin, Georgia, just south of Columbus, is the result of poor farming practices dating to the 1800s. In fact, 200 years ago you'd have seen erosion already affecting the landscape by about 4-5 feet. Today, the canyons, which take up approximately 300 acres of the park's 1,003 acres, are up to 300 feet wide and 150 feet deep. And they're stunning!

Providence Canyon | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

Whether a geology enthusiast, a hiker, photographer, or nature-lover, you'll love this outing. Having visited the Grand Canyon out West, although Providence Canyon is nicknamed "Georgia's Little Grand Canyon", the two are totally different experiences and should be enjoyed for what they are, not as a comparison. I think you'll enjoy it much more that way.

Providence Canyon | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

The nickname is not undeserved, though. Providence Canyon is stunningly beautiful! If on your first visit you're not sure how to explore the canyon, I recommend starting at the bottom, explore as many of the canyons as you're comfortable doing, and then go around the rim trail for a bird's eye view of what you just experienced! 

Providence Canyon | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

Yes, yes, I know. The catalyst for the canyons was man-made, but the resulting canyons are a natural process, thus Providence Canyon being included in Georgia's Seven Natural Wonders. Speaking of wonderful, the base of the canyons is the only place in Stewart County you'll find the blossoming gem bigleaf magnolia tree, which has leaves up to three-feet long! In the fall, you can see the stunning plumleaf aza! The amazing colors aren't just on the canyon walls.

Providence Canyon | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

Within the canyon walls you'll see 43 different colors and shades! The soil here is mineral rich. The red color comes from iron, the purple from manganese, and the white from kaolin, which is mined widely in Georgia. It's beautiful year-round, but come in the autumn and get the extra burst of color from the fall foliage! 

Travis at Providence Canyon | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

When you read or hear that the canyon is still eroding, that's your red flag to listen to and observe the park's safety rules! In fact, that little church you see when you drive into the park used to stand where Canyon #2 is now! The canyons are currently eroding approximately 3.5 feet every year, so do be careful and stay on the paths and behind the fences, for your own safety.

Providence Canyon | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

There are various campsites, a museum, a visitors center (seasonal hours), hiking, picnicking, stellar photo ops, and there are geology and astronomy programs. If you're a serious or adventurous hiker, check out their Canyon Climbers Club, which entails excursions to four parks throughout Georgia, a completion t-shirt, and phenomenal bragging rights! And of course, experiences you'll carry with you for a lifetime. 

Providence Canyon | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

If you do want to picnic here, but sure to get your supplies well before you arrive. Stores that would have what you want are not nearby, so a little planning ahead will go a long way to ensure you have the best visit possible.

Providence Canyon | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

Beautiful canyons and interesting plant-life isn't all you'll find here. There's lots of fun to be had, but there are also other remnants from days gone by. When the area became a state park, the old cars that were on-property would have caused too much damage to the park to remove them, not to mention the creatures that had made the antique modes of transportation their homes. Unexpected in the natural setting, they make for great conversation pieces and fodder for photographers.

Providence Canyon | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

If you're visiting Providence Canyon from Atlanta, while it's only a 2-hour drive from downtown, it makes for a great long weekend or longer! On this particular trip, we stayed in Columbus, where I'd not been since at least the 90s. Had a magnificent time exploring and dining in the city! There are plenty of other small to medium size towns, as well as parks, nearby with lots of things to see and do.

Providence Canyon | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

Be sure to get a map at the Visitor Center before descending into the Canyon. The first three are relatively easy while 4 and 5 are for the more adventurous. For all of them, you'll want to wear shoes that you don't mind getting wet and muddy. Because of the canyon floor's proximity to the water table, there will be water on the canyon floor, even during droughts! 

Providence Canyon | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

Of note, Lumpkin, Georgia, is named for the two-term governor of Georgia, Wilson Lumpkin, as is Lumpkin County in the northern end of the state. Before Atlanta became the capital of Georgia, it had the names Terminus - for its role in the thriving railroad industry, and Marthasville - changed by Samuel Mitchell in mid 1842 to honor Wilson's youngest daughter, Martha. Martha Lumpkin Compton (1827-1917), namesake of Marthasville and daughter of Governor Wilson Lumpkin, is buried in Atlanta's Historic Oakland Cemetery.

A Walk in the Park...

Have you ever been to the park for a 5:00 p.m. picnic? I have, just recently.

It turned out to be the serendipitous perfect time to picnic at Sweetwater Creek State Park, followed immediately by a multi-mile walk to explore and get a little exercise, outshined only by having a camera to capture some beautiful images at dusk, including the moss and sprouts pictured below.

Sweetwater Creek State Park

We'd just visited Patak Meats in Austell, Georgia, only one exit past Six Flags Over Georgia, on I-20 West. We believe the best place to buy European meats in all of Metro Atlanta, they're open only one Saturday a month, the first Saturday. It's an excursion we look forward to every month we can make it happen. 

They're open during the week, but not late enough for someone who keeps regular office hours in the city. That's quite alright...otherwise I'd spend half my paycheck on the awesome meats and other deli items they offer! 

Our picnic the day of this visit was sandwiches made of fresh, just-cut Corned Beef, Swiss cheese and Polish sauerkraut, all from Patak, on classic rye bread with some potato salad on the side. In retrospect, we didn't even think about dessert...the freshness of Patak's treats were so incredibly delectable, that was treat enough! 

Sweetwater Creek State Park

When you visit Sweetwater Creek State Park, be sure to stop by the award-winning Visitors Center. There's a whole museum, live animals and a pretty awesome gift shop, not to mention park maps, which you're going to want to peruse before you go walking/hiking, especially if you're on your first visit, all hosted by friendly Park staff.

We'd had our picnic on the shore of the lake where it was quite windy. I actually went back to the car for a jacket, not a surprise in early spring. But, once we got to the trails farther inside the Park, it was perfectly comfortable without a jacket.

By time we got halfway to the New Manchester Manufacturing Mill ruins, the sun was going down, so the lighting was spectacular. I especially liked the bright green colors of new spring leaves reflecting on the deep blue water of the Creek, pictured above. The extra ripples of the wind added interesting texture.

Sweetwater Creek State Park

Don't worry, you won't feel like you're in the Blair Witch Project. The red on the occasional tree lets you know that you're on the "red trail", the "history" trail. There are many paths at Sweetwater Creek State Park, some of which I've yet to explore, each color coded and easy to follow.

In the background of the above photo you see the New Manchester Manufacturing Mill ruins, which was a filming site for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1. That's one thing you'll learn if you're a new visitor to our state...we're huge in movie making! My friends at Atlanta Movie Tours can help you discover more about that.

The color coding his an awesome tool for gauging what route to take if you're in a pinch for time or if you have all day to hike your heart out.

Sweetwater Creek State Park

Water levels tend to be higher in spring, as they were on this particular visit, which typically translates into calmer waters, yet don't rob you of the white water that many visitors look forward to seeing. In this shot (above), I was most fascinated by the lone bright white dogwood tree on the other side of the Creek.

During this particular visit we saw a Great Blue Heron, sitting and then flying. They're such a beautiful avian. When you visit, have your camera at the ready for other birds, too, as well as water creatures, woodland animals and other wildlife. You're going to see a lot on the more than 2,500 acre Park on their 12 miles of trails!

Sweetwater Creek State Park

One of the first sights you'll see when departing from the Visitor's Center is the remains of a spectacular Eastern Red-Cedar, which isn't a cedar at all, but a member of the Juniper family. It's unique shape, which will conjure images of the Game of Thrones iron throne for some, I thought is definitely photo-worthy!

Sweetwater Creek State Park features quite a lot of adventure, including trails, hiking, campsites, picnic shelters and "yurts". I didn't know what a yurt was before visiting this park and I've not yet experienced one, but if you're into glamping, Sweetwater's yurts are evidently the way to go! There's a "Yurt Village" of 10 yurts along the Creek that house six people each.  

Whether an out-of-town visitor or a local, I highly encourage you to visit one of our many beautiful State Parks, especially nearby Sweetwater Creek State Park.