Dismals Canyon, located in Franklin County, is an 85-acre area of natural sandstone gorges and geological formations surrounded by one of the few remaining old-growth virgin forests in Alabama. Perhaps the most fascinating inhabitants of the canyon are the “dismalites,” larvae of the foxfire fly, a bioluminescent species that emits a bright bluish-green glow. The area was designated as a National Natural Landmark by the National Park Service in 1975.

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Encyclopedia of Alabama