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The bats occupy the abandoned railroad tunnels. Other natural features found on this preserve include an array of wildflowers and six species of bats, among them the rare rafinesque big-eared bat.

Eventually, Stumphouse Tunnel was closed due to lack of money, and then the Civil War started. The men who built the tunnel worked twelve hours a day, seven days a week, using only shovels, pick axes and dynamite. The tunnel was built to connect the railway between Charleston and Knoxville. Neotropical birds use the forest for migration and nesting. Stumphouse Tunnel was built in the 1850s in Walhalla, S.C. The preserve boasts bird and plant diversity including black-throated green and hooded warblers, red-eyed and blue-headed vireos, and tufted titmice. Stumphouse Mountain Heritage Preserve-Wildlife Management Area, located in northern Oconee County, is the site of the lovely Issaqueena Falls, which is important to Cherokee history, as well as several historic railroad tunnels, forests and streams with trails for the public to enjoy. Together, the partners raised $4.3 million through 1,100 donations to purchase the property and protect it as a South Carolina Heritage Preserve. Construction on Stumphouse tunnel began in 1856 when the George Collyer Company of London brought many Irish workers into the area for this project. The Nature Conservancy was one of many public and private partners who united to find alternatives to the proposed development, attracting hundreds of people to community meetings and collecting approximately 2,000 signatures in a petition drive. There Stumphouse tunnel along with three other tunnels was to be built. I spent time photographing outside of the tunnel while Randy went to a local store to purchase some flashlights for our adventure.In 2007, Stumphouse Mountain was the target of a proposed development. When we first arrived at the tunnel, we were dismayed to discover that my headlamp was at home rather than in my pack. That’s why it is no stretch to lump this 100-foot cascade among the most popular in Oconee County, and among the most beautiful. Visitors to the tunnel can also enjoy biking trails and nearby Isaqueena Falls. Beginning from the parking area for the Stumphouse Tunnel, this 15-minute hike to Issaqueena Falls is an easy excursion for even the beginning hiker, and it’s rich in lore and history. The tunnel is located in a park open to the public. If you are coming from the Asheville area, take I-26 east towards South Carolina. Today, visitors can spend a day visiting Stumphouse Tunnel. Directions: Stumphouse Tunnel Park is about 7 miles west of Walhalla, SC on SC28. The construction of the tunnel began in the 1800’s as a part of a project to connect the Blue Ridge Railroad from the Charleston Harbor to the midwest.Īfter three years working on the tunnel, funding was halted for the project due to a collapse of South Carolina’s economy.įor about 20 years in the 1900’s, Clemson used the tunnel to cure Blue Cheese. Stumphouse Tunnel is located in a public park in Mountain Rest, South Carolina. Stumphouse Tunnel was one of the first places we chose for this new adventure. Since my husband, Randy, and I enjoy road trips and unexplored (to us) territories, an idea was sparked to visit places we haven’t already seen in the Carolinas. They decided to visit and photograph towns in Texas that had interesting names.

Keith’s book, From Uncertain to Blue, is a collection of photographs taking during road trips Keith and his late wife, Patricia, would take. I was hooked instantly and ordered two additional books containing his photographs.

While listening to one of my favorite podcasts, The Candid Frame, I discovered the work of Keith Carter. Stumphouse Tunnel is a pre-Civil War railroad tunnel began in 1852 by 1,500 Irish miners working for the Blue Ridge Railroad. Since my physical travel has been limited since March, I have spent more and more time traveling through books. “When a train goes through a tunnel and it gets dark, you don’t throw away the ticket and jump off.