For as long as I can remember, okay 2013, I have always wanted to stop by Stumphouse Tunnel on my way to Oconee State Park. Unfortunately each time I go to Oconee I’m usually in a hurry, so I never get to stop in and check anything out.

In August of 2020 I finally took the time to make plans to just visit a few of the parks in Oconee County just to see what they had to offer. I had two days off in a row, so I planned an overnight trip to Clemson. My main goal was to finally see Stumphouse Tunnel for myself.

The drive back to the tunnel is absolutely gorgeous. Everything was so beautiful and green when I was there. It’s definitely a place that I would love to visit in the fall. I can only imagine that all of the trees are very vibrant during that time of year. I’m all about taking pictures of the fall foliage, but I didn’t make it back this past year, so maybe I will in the future.

The vision of what Stumphouse Tunnel was going to be was a railroad tunnel for the Blue Ridge Rail Road that was going to connect South Carolina, North Carolina, and Tennessee together. In late 1853 about 1,500 Irish miners began the work on Stumphouse Tunnel. They used hand tools such as hammers and chisels to break away at the blue granite that the mountain was made of, and at times black powder was used as well. After six years of work, in 1859 the plans for Stumphouse Tunnel were shut down when the South Carolina legislature refused to fund anymore of the tunnel. The tunnel wasn’t used for many years until 1951 when Clemson University began using the tunnel to cure its blue cheese. The cool temperatures inside the tunnel made it the perfect place for the cheese. The tunnel was used for this purpose by Clemson for many years until they were able to replicate what made the tunnel so special for their cheese at another location. Now the tunnel is run by the city of Walhalla.

The climb up to the tunnel is a little hard if you aren’t used to walking up hills. I’m from basically a zero elevation, so I have a little trouble when it comes to “mountain climbing” of any kind. I had to really lock my legs into place to make it up the short walk from the parking area to where the tunnel is located. Thankfully there is a bench waiting at the top of the hill for people like me. Once I got my breath back, I was ready to see what I had been waiting seven years to see.

As soon as you get near the tunnel you can feel the dramatic drop in temperature. It was near 100° outside, but the temperature of the tunnel is around 50°. You want to make sure that you have a flashlight in your possession because it is very dark inside the tunnel. Drops out water that are falling from the ceiling are constantly falling down. You also need to pay attention to where you are walking, because if you aren’t careful you can possibly trip over the uneven ground beneath you. Even with a flashlight your vision is still impaired. The walk through the tunnel is only approximately a fourth of a mile before you come up on a gate that barricades you from walking through the tunnel anymore. From my understanding the rest of the tunnel beyond that point has collapsed over the years. A bunch of graffiti is painted at this location.

The walk back through the tunnel is quite weird. I personally felt as if I was having some “Highway to Heaven” moments because I was walking towards the light. Right before I got out of the tunnel I was aware that I would be able to get some nice pictures because the light was working the way I needed it to. I called my parents over and got them to pose for me, and then I handed the camera over to them to take some of me.

While we were visiting the tunnel we made the short drive over to the parking lot to Issaqueena Falls. Issaqueena Falls is named in honor of an Indian maiden that rode to a nearby fort to warn that an Indian attack was coming, then she pretended to leap over the falls in an attempt to escape capture. It is believed that instead of falling to her death that she hid behind the falls instead. I can see where it would be easy to fall from the top because you are at the top of the falls before you know it from the short walk from the parking lot. You can actually see the top of the waterfall in one of my photos below.

I wasn’t able to see the whole waterfall on the day I visited because some caution tape and cones were up that let me know that the trail down to the bottom of the falls was closed. I don’t know if I would have made an attempt to walk it anyway since I have read that you almost have to be part mountain goat to get down to the falls, but I also know that I do love to take pictures as well. The views of the mountains in the distance were beautiful from where I was standing though. I did find a beautiful painted rock under a bench near the overlook, but I left it behind for someone else to find.

Stumphouse Tunnel and Issaqueena Falls are both located in the same place. It costs $5 per vehicle to visit, which may sound a little steep, but I didn’t mind paying the small fee. There is a small parking area for each place, so your vehicle is pretty much near you at all times. There are also restrooms and picnic tables available for you to use as well. I’m pretty sure that this place is used by locals for hiking and bicycling since I saw both activities being done on my visit. The address is Stumphouse Tunnel Road in Wahalla, South Carolina. If you can’t find it, just put in Oconee State Park in your GPS, and look to the right as you are making your way up the mountain so you can see where to pull off for this sweet little park.

Published by travelingthesoutheast

My name is Donna. At an early age I had a love for photography. There was nothing more fun than taking film to a store and then having to wait several days to get the photographs back, sometimes only to find out that none of the pictures turned out the way I wanted them to. Quite a few years ago digital came out, and the rest is history. I can always be found with a camera around my neck, on my arm, or in my hand. I have always had a love for telling stories and sharing them with others. My imagination has always been a little on the wild side. About ten years ago, I decided one day that I wanted to start traveling, and I have never looked back. There is nothing in the world that I enjoy more than traveling and taking photographs. View all posts by travelingthesoutheast