See every shade of Georgia clay at Providence Canyon

Photograph by Alex Martinez

The “Little Grand Canyon,” 40 miles south of Columbus, may look like a natural phenomenon, but it’s actually the result of human tampering. The canyons, some 150 feet deep, began as 19th-century farming irrigation ditches, which eventually eroded into a network of 16 gorges carved into the soil and stained pink, red, orange, and white by minerals. A number of short trails duck in and out of the ravines. The seven-mile Red Blaze Trail “backcountry loop” offers six sites for cool-weather camping (avoid summer!) in a landscape that’s as close to Arizona as you’ll find in this state.

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