Issaqueena Falls

Issaqueena Falls is a 100-foot, cascading waterfall inside Stumphouse Park, which also includes the haunted Stumphouse Tunnel. Folklore surrounds the place. The waterfall is named after Issaqueena, a Choctaw Native American who fell for a white settler. When she learned of her tribe's plans to attack the settlement, she rode out on horseback to warn them. When her tribe learned of what she did, they chased her to the waterfall where she then pretended to fake her death by jumping off the ledge. The story goes she actually hid under the ledge and ended up living a full life. From the parking area, where bathrooms are also located, it's a 0.1-mile hike to see the falls.

Construction on the nearby Stumphouse Tunnel began in 1853 for a section of the Blue Ridge Rail Road. Workers used hand drills, hammers, chisels, and dynamite to cut through the blue granite for roughly 6 years until construction was halted due to lack of funds. During this time, 10 workers died. It is said that some people (myself included) can still hear the grunts of those workers and the clattering of their tools as they continue to chip away at the stone.

Another fun fact: the tunnel used to be used in the 1950's by Clemson University to cure blue cheese. Today it is used by local bats for shelter.

Google Location: Issaqueena Falls, South Carolina 29691
GPS Location: 34.8084° N, 83.1249° W
Parking: Lot
Hike/Roadside: 0.2 miles, round-trip
Wheelchair Accessible: No
Admission: $5 per vehicle
Open: 8:30am - 8pm
Swimming: No
Pets: Yes, with leash