Dismals Canyon

Make SURE they will be open when you plan to visit - the gate may be locked and it is off the beaten path.

If you’re going on the night tour, they said the end of May- first part of June is the best time to see the dismalites. The canyon is beautiful, but as a person who doesn’t want to miss anything, i found the map confusing. When we come next time I’ll chunk the map and just explore. Bring water shoes so you can cross the creek easily to get to both sides - some of the crossings were kind of sketchy if you didn’t want to get your feet wet- which in March, we didn’t.

10/10 : truly a beautiful hidden gem! Stayed in the cabin and it was amazing but make sure you don’t get there earlier than 4pm on week days because they won’t be open! Also don’t forget a check for $175! The dismalite night tour was a once in a life time experience and the canyon during the day was stunning!

This place is small but the 1.5 mile hike is beautiful and the waterfall area is a wonderful swimming hole for kids. We camped one night but the camp site we were given was taken by another group and the office stated the sites are loosely reserved. So, we had to settle for another site which was angled and not convenient for camping. Other than the angle the site was beautiful with a stream just about 10 feet away. Do make sure you secure your food items because raccoons come through the sites at night. I caught one getting into the trash can next to our tent and one got into the food of the site next to us. They did not bother us or our stuff, just looked for food.
The Dismalites are amazing and I could have sat in the dark looking at them for hours. It’s like standing in a starry sky, very Avatarish. The guide was amazing and knew her stuff.
I highly recommend this place!

Make sure you going peak season. We went hiking during the day and the tour at night both very beautiful. The tour guide is a straight up genius when it comes to biologically and she knows her stuff.

My friend and I visited here to go camping for a week. The canyon is beautiful and the dismalites were pretty cool too! The people were wonderful and very helpful!