These are just a few of the points of interest along the trail.
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Past twilight the canyon lights up with tiny creatures we call Dismalites.
Guided night tours are available throughout most of the year.
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SWIM in a natural pool carved out of solid rock by the rushing waters of Dismals Creek.
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Rainbow Falls - these falls were the source of power for a great mill destroyed by a flood about 50 years ago.
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Grotto - years ago a massive earthquake tumbled these house-size boulders together to form natural bridges and a cool green grotto.
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Pulpit Rock - During the massive earthquake the rocks were sheared off the 60’ canyon walls and shoved out just enough to make a winding natural rock stairway. At the top is Pulpit Rock from which you have a panoramic view of part of the canyon.
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Kitchen - this covered area was used for cooking and tribal rituals by Chickasaw Indians.
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Temple Cave - about 10,000 years ago this bluff shelter was home to a tribe of Paleo Indians - first man known to inhabit this part of the U.S. This shelter has never been excavated but samples of Paleo pottery & arrow points have been found in different areas of the Canyon. Fires were built in front of the small flat rock at the back to reflect heat out into the cave. The large rock in front was used for grinding corn.
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Champion Tree - this Eastern/Canadian Hemlock is the first Champion Tree in Franklin County. There were two Champion Trees until an ice storm destroyed one of them. The tree is 138’ tall, 8’9” around and has a crown spread of 50’. It is the largest of its species in Alabama and thought to be the largest anywhere in the world.
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Weeping Bluff - looking up at the bluff, you can see the face of an Indian Maiden. The water that seeps from this bluff is said to be tears shed by the Canyon for the loss of its only true friends-the Chickasaw Indians.
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Secret Falls - the water creating these falls flows from an underground mountain stream that opens onto the earth's surface about 3/4 of a mile upstream. The area around "Secret Falls" is a natural arboretum. Within 100 feet grow 27 species of native trees.
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Dance Hall - this well camouflaged area-protected from the sun and the elements-was used by the Chickasaw Indians for secret rituals. It is the only place where the rock has been worn smooth by centuries of human use.
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Fat Man's Misery - This narrow opening (16” wide) between the two big boulders was the original entrance to the Canyon floor.
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Witches Cavern - a strange and beautiful labyrinth of moss and fern covered boulders where the largest colony of Dismalites resides.
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Burr's Hideout - opening over the pool under the waterfall is where Aaron Burr hid for several months in 1804 after killing Alexander Hamilton in a duel. A cot and an old musket that were found here years ago are thought to have belonged to him. Because of its close proximity to the Natchez Trace-the Devil's Backbone-Dismals Canyon served as the hideout for many other infamous outlaws who robbed and murdered travelers on the Devil's Backbone.
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