Oconee County SC Stumphouse Mountain Tunnel and Issaqueena Falls

The author and his children had the opportunity to visit the upstate of South Carolina on a cold and rainy February weekend.  What better way to spend an afternoon then to visit one each of Oconee County's historical and natural treasures which happen to be located within a few hundred yards of each other.  The Stumphouse Mountain tunnel was one of a series of tunnels which were attempted and partly constructed thru the foothills northwest of Walhalla SC in the 1850s to accommodate a railroad meant to link Charleston to the country's Midwest.  The South Carolina legislature withdrew funds for construction just before the War Between the States but some consideration was made to finish the project by the Confederate government for wartime strategic logistics but, the tunnel remained unused until almost one hundred years later when Clemson University used the tunnel for aging their famous blue cheese, taking advantage of the cool constant temperatures afforded by the tunnel deep within the mountain.  A short walk away is Issaqueena Falls which is a beautiful cascading 200 foot falls with short hiking trails to observation decks at the top as well as steep trails down to the pools and rocky stream at  the bottom of the falls.  The rain and steep rugged terrain made for a slippery trail but good exercise and an adventure for the author's young son.  On the cold February day, the warmer water cascading down the rocks made almost a light fog hanging over the falls.  Enjoyable outing in a beautiful setting in the foothills of upstate South Carolina near historic Walhalla.