The Blue Ridge Railroad was the dream of the South Carolina statesmen John C. Calhoun. Unfortunately, the railroad was never finished, due to the impending Civil War. Today, the greatest monument of the railroad, the Stumphouse Mountain Tunnel, is open to the public.

The Stumphouse Tunnel Park is located just north of Walhalla on SC 28, and is the location of the tunnel, Issaqueena Falls and the Blue Ridge Railroad Historical Trail trailhead.

The Blue Ridge Railroad Historical Trail was built in 1976, and was originally designed to follow the path of the unfinished railroad. Today, the trail has fallen into disrepair and in places can be hard to follow. We found that the most confusing part of the trail is trying to find the trailhead!

To find the trailhead, park in the parking lot for Issaqueena Falls, and look to your left just before the short falls overlook trail. The trail will lead up a clay track through overhanging rhododendrons. Once on top, the trail is relatively flat for the next 4 miles. The last 2 miles are strenuous, due to the fact that this portion of the railroad was not finished, and the gaps in the mountain were not leveled.

The Stumphouse Tunnel and Issaqueena Falls are definately worth visiting. There is alot of history packed into this small park, including the story of the railroad, and the story of the indian princess Issaqueena.

The trail on the other hand is nothing exciting. Besides the 2 caved-in tunnels that you can find down the trail, there really is not much to see. I suppose if you are a railroad buff, then hiking this trail might be meaningful, otherwise it will probably be just an average walk through the woods.

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