There are no artificial lights inside the tunnel, but on the way out you can just walk toward the light. (Photo by Jeff Samsel)
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. The park is pretty close to Walhalla, and we had time, so we made a detour.
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 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. 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.
A dead-end tunnel cut into a mountainside that was part of an abandoned railroad project, the Stumphouse Tunnel was created in the 1850s. The tunnel, which is 17 feet wide and 25 feet tall, is 1,617 feet long. However, a locked gate prohibits travel past about halfway for safety reasons. 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. There are no artificial lights, so phone flashlights get used a lot. 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. On the way out, you can just walk toward the light.
A short walk away from the tunnel, small and nondescript-seeming Cane Creek suddenly plunges into a gorge to form beautiful 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.
Following the footpath across a small bridge leads to an easy downhill walk to a platform that provides an outstanding view of the 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.
Located 7 miles northwest of Walhalla on Highway 28, Stumphouse Tunnel Park is open from 10 a.m. to sunset, except on Christmas and during inclement weather. There is a $2 parking fee. The park also has a nice picnic area.
