One-Tank Trips: Explore a tunnel to nowhere at S.C. park
WALHALLA, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - If you’re looking for a place to cool down, why not the Stumphouse Tunnel?
“I always look for some kind of unusual destination, and I saw this Stumphouse Tunnel. My lord,” said Sam Phillips.
The park is home to trails, mountain views, and Issaqueena Falls.
What makes this park unique is a nearly 160-year-old tunnel.
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It was originally supposed to run through the Blue Ridge Mountains, but construction stopped when the South Carolina state legislature refused to give more money.
Now, it’s a tunnel to nowhere.
“They recommend a flashlight, and when you got deep enough, you understand why they recommended a flashlight,” said Phillips. “It’s pitch black dark, and you hear the dripping of the water.”
It’s also cool. Inside the mountain, the temperature naturally stays around 50 degrees.
That’s why years ago Clemson University cured bleu cheese there.
If you go in and need to find your way back, just turn around and look for the light at the end of the tunnel.
“You won’t get lost, you just turn around and you see the bright light,” said Phillips.
Stumphouse Tunnel is about two and a half hours away from Augusta.
You only have to pay for parking, which costs $5.
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