Providence Canyon (The Little Grand Canyon) - Georgia
Updated: Sep 8, 2021
Providence Canyon State Outdoor Recreation Area is a 1,003-acre Georgia state park located in Stewart County in southwest Georgia, United States. The park contains Providence Canyon, which is sometimes called Georgia's "Little Grand Canyon". It is considered one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Georgia. It is also home to the very rare plumleaf azalea.
Providence Canyon actually is not a purely natural feature—many of the massive gullies (the deepest of which is more than 150 feet) are the result of erosion due to poor farming practices in the 19th century. This story of the origin of the canyons has been commonplace since the 1940s, but the formations in the canyons are at least partially natural. Although there were probably a few early arrivals before 1825, the first heavy influx of settlers in Stewart County only came after the Treaty of Indian Springs (1825), by which the Creek Indians were forced to cede all their lands east of the Chattahoochee River. Evidence of the existence of the canyons at this time includes their mention in a deed by James S. Lunsford to William Tatam from 1836.
We visited this park and found it to be a nice day-visit but not a location to go out of your way to see. The canyon is basically an extremely large sink hole and referring it in any way to the Grand Canyon is not a fair comparison. The canyon is worth seeing and hiking through it if you are in the area.
Contact Information:
Website: https://gastateparks.org/ProvidenceCanyon
8930 Canyon Road Lumpkin, GA 31815 Stewart County
Phone: 229-838-6202
Reservations: 800-864-7275
