Dismals Canyon gets its name from the dismalite, a worm about the size of a pencil tip that lives in moss on the canyon′s rocks. Upon request the proprietors will schedule an after dark (ad)venture for seven or more. When artificial light is extinguished, the greenish glow of dismalites can be seen as they stir about in the moss.
Dismals begins where a pool of water plunges into a hollow. Unlike most of the previous-described places, Dismals features a trail easy enough for hikers of all ages and abilities. It′s a wonderful place to hike in summer, as some of the cooler air that sinks into the canyon at night remains throughout the day, creating a pleasant temperature differential.
Big trees are another attraction. Some bear states champion nameplates. Of course, high bluff sides enclose the canyon. The footpath takes you under, over, and between huge, juxtaposed boulders, some of them great slabs of rock seemingly separated from their progenitors by seismic cracking or eons of weather. Water flows under some of the rocks, toward the main creek, producing a shifting, echoing musicality. One of the most fascinating phenomena are the saplings of considerable size that grow on top of the rocks, whose roots have tenaciously located the edges of the rocks and nourishing soil sometimes several feet below. For those with fertile imaginations, there are the rock formations with suggestive names: Elephant, Dancehall, and Fat Man′s Squeeze.
In the 1960s a group of Alabamians united to implore the Nature Conservancy to buy and preserve Dismals Canyon. Although the purchase was never arranged, the activist group decided to form a state conservation organization. The Alabama Conservancy (now the Alabama Environmental Council) was thus born.
Dismals Canyon, once known as Dismal Wonder Gardens, is open Friday through Sunday until Memorial Day, then daily until Labor Day when the three-day schedule then resumes. Rental cabins are available year round. There is an entrance fee, a snack and souvenir shop, restroom facilities and camping. For the dismalite tours, or other information, contact Clint Franklin at 205-993-4559 or on-line.
To reach Dismals Canyon from Haleyville travel Hwy 5 north to Phil Campbell. Turn left onto Hwy 237 and then right onto County Road 12 past the junior college. At the intersection of County Road 2317 turn left. Look for a sign directing you to the front of Dismals Park about a mile on your right.