Dismals Canyon
National Natural Landmark · Phil Campbell, Alabama
A privately owned sandstone gorge in Franklin County, designated a National Natural Landmark, holding a primeval forest of two dozen tree species in a canyon that has never been logged. Its real distinction comes out after dark: the DISMALITES, the bioluminescent larvae of a small fly, which cling to the damp canyon walls in their thousands and glow blue-green. They occur in very few places on Earth, and this is the most accessible of them. Night tours run in summer and must be booked.
901 County Road 8, Phil Campbell, Alabama, 35581, United States
Privately owned. Generally open daily in the warmer months with reduced days in winter — check before travelling. Daytime canyon trail is self-guided. GUIDED NIGHT TOURS for the dismalites run on scheduled evenings roughly May to September, must be booked in advance, and sell out.