44 Issaqueena Falls

Captivating! The way nature comes together here shows the unity of all living things needing one another to survive. The ecosystem that creates this waterfall is fantastic.

See map on 43 Yellow Branch Falls

Height: 100 feet

Beauty rating: Excellent

Distance: 0.2 mile out and back

Difficulty: Easy

Trail surface: Wide mulch path

Approximate hiking time: 10 minutes

Blaze color: No blazes

County: Oconee

Land status: National forest

Trail contact: Sumter National Forest, Andrew Pickens Ranger District; (864) 638-9568; www.fs.fed.us

FYI: Park hours vary through the year

Maps: DeLorme: South Carolina Atlas & Gazetteer: Page 22 A2; DeLorme: Georgia Atlas & Gazetteer: Page 16 D5

Finding the trailhead: From the junction of SC 28 and SC 107, drive south on SC 28 for 2.6 miles. Turn left onto Stumphouse Tunnel Road at the sign for Stumphouse Tunnel Park and drive down the hill for 0.5 mile. At the bottom of the hill, turn right onto the narrow side road and immediately go right again, heading to the picnic area.

From the junction of SC 28 and SC 183, drive north on SC 28 for 5.4 miles. Turn right onto Stumphouse Tunnel Road at the sign for Stumphouse Tunnel Park and follow the directions above.

The trailhead is located to the right of the information signpost at the south end of the parking area. GPS: N34 48.449 / W83 07.285

The Hike

Issaqueena Falls is located within Stumphouse Tunnel Park. The information signpost at the trailhead tells the tale of the Indian maiden for whom the falls were named.

Hike south a short distance and cross the wooden bridge as you make your way toward the sound of the falls. As you continue to follow the wide mulch path, you will come to and cross a second covered wooden bridge. The path leads downhill a short distance farther to an observation deck overlooking Issaqueena Falls.

Issaqueena was an Indian maiden who fell in love with a white settler. Her lover was David Francis, a silversmith who lived in what is now the town of Ninety-six, South Carolina. Upon hearing that her tribe was planning to attack his town, Issaqueena rode on horseback some 92 miles to warn the settlers of the pending attack.

The settlers escaped, and David and Issaqueena fled to Stumphouse Mountain, where they lived in a hollowed-out tree or “stump house.” When her tribe finally tracked them down, Issaqueena fled to the falls, where she leapt from the brink. The tribesmen thought her to be dead and gave up the chase, but she had landed in a small cave behind the falls. Hidden by the veil of water, she stayed there for days before rejoining her husband. The pair then fled to Alabama and lived happily ever after.

For an interesting side trip, visit the Stumphouse Mountain Tunnel. To get there, continue another 0.1 mile on Stumphouse Tunnel Road to where the road dead-ends at a parking area. From the parking area, head northeast up the hill to the entrance of this 1,600-foot-deep tunnel.

Miles and Directions

0.0From the trailhead, hike south on the wide mulch path. Cross the wooden bridge and make your way toward the sound of the falls. Cross a second covered footbridge and continue downhill.

0.1Arrive at the overlook for Issaqueena Falls (N34 48.390 / W83 07.308). Return the way you came.

0.2Arrive back at the trailhead.

Clemson College once cured its famous blue cheese deep inside the Stumphouse Mountain Tunnel.

The Cure for Blue Cheese

Clemson College purchased the Stumphouse Tunnel in 1951 because of its constant temperature and high humidity. Why, one might ask? To cure blue cheese of course.

A professor in Clemson College’s Dairy department realized that the tunnel had the perfect climate to cure cheese. The college began in-depth studies, and the next thing you know, they were making the cheese on campus and then transporting it to the Stumphouse Mountain Tunnel for curing. This project continued with great success from 1951 until 1958, when the college was able to duplicate the tunnel’s climate and began curing the cheese in special labs on campus called “cheese rooms.”

Clemson University still uses the same ripening recipe for curing its world-famous blue cheese that it did back in the early 1950s in the Stumphouse Mountain Tunnel.