It was slated to run 195 miles over and through the mountains, via a series of tunnels. Calhoun even trekked through the Blue Ridge Mountains on foot in search of a “Carolina Gap” through which to run the railroad.ĭespite his early endeavors to win support for the project, the charter for the Blue Ridge Rail Road was not issued until 1852 - two years after Calhoun’s death. He and others envisioned a direct route west from Charleston to foster trade between South Carolina and the Ohio Valley. Calhoun proposed that a rail line be built from Anderson, South Carolina, to Knoxville, Tennessee. In the 1830s, South Carolina statesman John C. The curious story of this tunnel and why it was never finished begins nearly 200 years ago. The park also has a nice picnic area.Visitors are invited to explore the Stumphouse Tunnel or merely sit outside and ponder its history.Īt the crest of a gravel path in a sylvan corner of Oconee County, 7 miles northeast of Walhalla, South Carolina, a 1,617-foot-long tunnel cuts through the blue granite of Stumphouse Mountain and abruptly dead ends at a bare rock wall. to sunset, except on Christmas and during inclement weather. Located 7 miles northwest of Walhalla on Highway 28, Stumphouse Tunnel Park is open from 10 a.m. (Photo by Jeff Samsel) A short easy walk leads in Stumphouse Tunnel Park leads to a platform that provides a great view of Issaqueena falls. Past the platform, an unofficial but heavily traveled trail allows for a steep descent to a flat area at the base of the 100-foot main drop for an up-close vantage.Īsher and Eli Samsel enjoy an up close and personal look at Issaqueena Falls. The creek drops 100 feet over an almost vertical edge, with just enough ledges breaking its fall to spread the flow into a complex and striking veil.įollowing the footpath across a small bridge leads to an easy downhill walk to a platform that provides an outstanding view of the falls. (Photo by Jeff Samsel)Ī short walk away from the tunnel, small and nondescript-seeming Cane Creek suddenly plunges into a gorge to form beautiful Issaqueena Falls. On the way out, you can just walk toward the light.Ī gentle, cool breeze comes out of the entrance of the Stumphouse Tunnel at all times. That said, enough natural light creeps in to sort of see once eyes adjust, and exploring without the aid of a flashlight is kind of cool. There are no artificial lights, so phone flashlights get used a lot. An air shaft just past the gate creates a constant cool breeze coming out of the tunnel and condensation, which keeps the tunnel floor moist. However, a locked gate prohibits travel past about halfway for safety reasons. The tunnel, which is 17 feet wide and 25 feet tall, is 1,617 feet long. The boys also spent at least a half hour flipping rocks in a tumbling tributary of the main stream, catching crawfish and seeing what kinds of aquatic insects were under rocks.Ī dead-end tunnel cut into a mountainside that was part of an abandoned railroad project, the Stumphouse Tunnel was created in the 1850s. The splendor of the falls exceeded what I had remembered, and the tunnel, which had been closed last time I was there and only visible from the outside at that time, turned out to be super fun to explore. What I’d expected be a half hour stop for quick looks at a couple of features turned into more than two hours of fun discovery. The park is pretty close to Walhalla, and we had time, so we made a detour. Until a couple of weeks ago, I’d forgotten just how just how cool South Carolina’s Stumphouse Tunnel Park is. I was in Walhalla with two of my boys and had just finished a round of disc golf when it struck me that they might like to explore the park’s namesake tunnel and to see Issaquena Falls, which is in the same park. There are no artificial lights inside the tunnel, but on the way out you can just walk toward the light.
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