Stumphouse Park

December 22, 2022

Awesome public property for active pursuits!

Stumphouse Park encompasses 440-acres and includes: Stumphouse Tunnel, Issaqueena Falls, the Stumphouse Passage of the Palmetto Trail, the Blue Ridge Railroad hiking trail, and Stumphouse Mountain Bike Park.

Stumphouse Park FAQs:

Stumphouse Park borders Sumter National Forest in the Andrew Pickens Ranger District.
Stumphouse Park is maintained by the City of Walhalla.
Park Entrance Fee is $5 per vehicle.
Annual Passes are available from Walhalla City Hall.
- $25 Annual Pass (Oconee County Residents)
- $35 Annual Pass (Non-Oconee County Residents)
- FREE for City of Walhalla Residents (must present photo ID and water bill)
The park has picnic tables and restrooms.
A large covered event pavilion is available to rent.
- Half day
- Contact Walhalla City Hall for pavilion rental (864) 638-4343 weekdays from 8:30am-5:00pm.

Fun Facts:

Stumphouse Tunnel was dug using hand tools prior to the Civil War, but never completed.
- Approximately 1/4 mile of the tunnel is open to the public.
- This is a cool family-friendly site.
- The tunnel maintains a constant temperature of 50 degrees year-round
- For decades Clemson University cured bleu cheese inside the tunnel.
Issaqueena Falls is in the vicinity of Stumphouse Tunnel.
- You can walk from one to the other.
- It is a bit of a distance, so you may want to drive to the other parking area.
- To see Issaqueena Falls, it is an easy 1/4 mile walk from the parking lot to an observation deck.
- There is a rough trail from observation deck to the bottom of the falls, but the path is quite dangerous and visitors are not encouraged to take it.
The Stumphouse Passage of the Palmetto Trail is accessible from the center of the park
- This is the terminus of the western end of the Palmetto Trail, a multi-use trail system that stretches over 500 miles across South Carolina.
The Blue Ridge Railroad hiking trailhead is located at the top of Issaqueena Falls parking lot
- This trail and is 2.5 miles of easy-to-moderate hiking through the forest with amazing views of the upstate.
Yellow Branch Falls is close to Stumphouse Park. There is a parking area (no fee) on the other side of Hwy. 28. It takes approximately 45 minutes one-way to hike to Yellow Branch Falls, but it is an amazing waterfall.