I found it hard to believe I was still in the South when I entered Providence Canyon State Park, Georgia. Some friends and I took a road trip to finally visit the park after seeing photos online and wondering how something so Grand Canyon-esque could be found in Georgia.

Even though we arrived at the park before 10 a.m., there was already a line of cars in front of and behind us. We discovered later the park was extra-crowded because of a race that took place in the park earlier that morning. When we entered and snagged a parking spot, we set out immediately to the trails to see as much as we could.

I knew nothing of the history or formation of the structures that make this park so iconic, so I was quite surprised when I eventually discovered through the park’s many signs that the “canyons” are not naturally made at all. In fact, the canyons formed from erosion thanks to poor farming practices more than a century ago.

Despite these formations not being natural, it’s amazing in itself to see a physical manifestation of how humans impact the land. Some of the canyons we visited were almost 150 feet deep!

Main trails branched off into smaller trails, each one seemingly leading to even more canyons and strange clay formations. In photos, the canyons look like they are made of the same sturdy rock that comprises the Grand Canyon, but only upon touching it or walking through one of the canyons do you realize that “rock” is actually just clay and other types of softer sediments.

We came on a day when the ground was rather wet. Despite the sun shining, the past week of rain showers meant some of the trails turned into flowing streams. I was glad I brought my older sneakers, as both the water and bright red clay ended up all over my legs and feet.

We walked several miles, seeing all the major canyons and some of the smaller, more hidden ones, before hopping back into the car and heading home.

— Aoife O’Riordan, associate editor