Glory Hole Caverns 
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one of Dixie's most beautiful caves
Part 5
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elcome to Part 5 of the section on Glory Hole Caverns.G
lory Hole Caverns would become one of the top attractions of this park and one of the top attractions in Georgia if the park and caverns are properly developed. Glory Hole whould be the center piece of the park and the park should have visitor facilities equal to those at Stone Mountain, Lake Lanier Islands and Jekyll Islands state parks.Development inside the cave should be done as carefully as a surgeon operating.
The first item must be creation of a new entrance. The present natural entrance is at the bottom of a small sinkhole about 30 feet deep in the middle of a cultivated field. A few trees and underbrush live in the sink. The entrance is an extremely tight and very dangerous shaft surrounded by loose boulders and mud. It has been gated for several years.
A new entrance would be dug into the cave so that easy, safe entry can be made by tourists. It would have steps leading down into the cavern. This should be done so as to enter the end of one of the largest halls in the cave. This "end" is actually a mudslide caused by a roof collapse sometime in the last few hundred years. There are no cave formations in this area so the least disturbance would result by placing the entrance here.
It is strongly suggested that this mudslide be cleaned out and the roof shored up in the hope that extensive passages and rooms may be found beyond this point. This is a definite possibility, considering the size of this passageway. It could not have grown to such a size without more such passages and rooms beyond this point. Those areas might contain even more beautiful formations.
Lighted trails should be developed ONLY in areas where it would not disturb formations because once damaged or destroyed, they can never be replaced. Trails should have rails of some type in areas with large collections of formations--to prevent kids or unthinking tourists from leaving the trail to touch or break formations.
Lighting should be done with taste. Light fixtures themselves should be hidden from direct view as much as possible.
Webmaster Robert Earl Woodham is bewitched by the rare beauty of the "Witch's Needle" (left), one of the most unusual and spectacular formations in Glory Hole Caverns. It is several feet in length from the ceiling to its tip.
Delicately beautiful 'flowers' decorate the floors of several rooms in Glory Hole. They are usually in small pools of water which add to their glittering effect. Mother Nature was determined to dazzle the eyes of the beholder when she created this magnificent caverns in Southwest Georgia.
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evelopment above ground in the Glory Hole area should be restricted solely to a visitor center, parking and gardens. NOTHING, absolutely nothing in the way of paving nor any kind of building (other than small gazebos) should be constructed within the field where the cave lies. Paving for parking areas or buildings could cause irreparable harm to the cave formations and the cave itself.The entire field should became a "natural" gardens with intense plantings of native azaleas, palmetto palms, blooming trees such as dogwood, redbud, etc., and Southern flowers and shrubs that would provide color most of the year. Large hardwoods should not be planted as these would rob the cave formations of the water essential to their continued growth.
The only paving allowed in the field should be a paved walkway from a parking area well east of the present field. Other trails through the future gardens should be covered with pine straw rather than paving.
A visitor center should also be located east of the field. This would contain an area for selling tickets for entry to the cave; restrooms; souvenir shop; and a small auditorium for showing slides and films about Glory Hole, caverns in general and the park area.
This site should be surrounded by a rustic rail and stone pillar fence to control entry.
This magnificent cavern can be preserved and made available as a major tourist attraction and economic boost for South Georgia--with your help. Contact your Georgia state representativ, state senator and Governor Barnes and urge them to create a state park for this area and restore these natural treasures to their former glory. Urge them to establish a state park here to preserve these natural treasures and bring new jobs to our region.
You can send a message to Georgia Governor Barnes and let him know of your support. Take time to send him and the Georgia Parks Division and Tourist Division a note.
These are links to their contact pages:
Georgia Governor
State Parks Division
Division of Tourism
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