The formation of Providence Canyon in a place where there was previously just hill country began only about 200 years ago. In the early 19th century, tree cutting and poor farming practices led to erosion that has continued to this day. As early as 1850, the area was crisscrossed by one to two meter deep ditches and erosion gullies, which today have burrowed into the loose, sandy and extremely colorful clay and loam layers to a depth of up to 50 meters. Nine of these small canyons are accessible by official paths, although the word path is not really appropriate, because you simply walk through the fine sandy streambeds of the canyons that are always watered and forested at their bottom. Even after prolonged drought, water still seeps out of the surrounding sediments, collects in small rivulets, which become shallow streams and eventually all join to form Turner Creek, which flows into the Chattahoochee River after only a few kilometers. Heavy rainfall can change the landscape within hours, causing old pinnacles to collapse and creating new interesting formations. In this wonderland, countless specimens of R. prunifolium thrive alongside R. minus.
