SWITCHBACKMOTO
Get the app
The Atlas/South Carolina/Stumphouse Mountain Tunnel

Stumphouse Mountain Tunnel

An unfinished pre-Civil War railroad tunnel carved by hand into the granite of Stumphouse Mountain, about six miles north of Walhalla on SC-28 — the southern leg of the Moonshiner 28 route. Workers using hand tools before the war completed only 1,600 of a planned 5,600 feet before funding collapsed in 1859. The tunnel today maintains a constant 50°F interior temperature year-round with 85% humidity; the city of Walhalla operates it as the centerpiece of Stumphouse Park, which also includes the adjacent Issaqueena Falls, a mountain bike park, and the Palmetto Trail's Stumphouse Passage. About a quarter mile of the tunnel is open to walk. Admission is $5 per vehicle; open daily 10 a.m.–5 p.m. except Christmas.

South Carolina
Region
Attraction
Stop type
Standalone stop
Atlas
// Why riders stop

A genuinely strange stop on the Moonshiner 28 run — walk into a 50°F hand-drilled Civil War-era tunnel on a hot summer day, then cool off further at Issaqueena Falls just steps away. Worth the $5 entry and the short detour off SC-28.

// Rider photos

Shot by the riders who've run it.

Riders upload photos to their profile and tag the road or stop — tagged shots show up here automatically.

0 rider submissions
Sign in to add a photoUpload & tag from your profile
// Nearby & related
StopSouth Carolina
Aunt Sue's Country Corner
South Carolina
A beloved roadside complex at 107 Country Creek Drive in Pickens, just off SC-11 between Caesars Head and Table Rock State Parks, two miles east of Table Rock. The property includes a Southern comfort-food restaurant, an ice cream parlor, a pizza shop, and a cluster of retail shops in a country-village setting. Owner Teresa Lewis has operated the property for over 20 years, and it has become a well-known refueling stop for riders looping the Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway. The location at the foot of Table Rock puts it directly on the most popular motorcycle day-ride route in the Upstate. Open seasonally; hours vary by season.
RouteSouth Carolina
7.2/10
Caesars Head (US-276) climb
South Carolina
Cleveland, SC up to Caesars Head State Park summit, ~6 mi of SC climbing. Tight switchbacks, steep grades up the Blue Ridge Escarpment, decreasing-radius turns, ~3,200 ft summit. **SC's most technical paved mountain road.**
32
miles
StopSouth Carolina
Caesars Head State Park Overlook
South Carolina
Atop the Blue Ridge Escarpment at 3,200 feet, the Caesars Head State Park overlook delivers one of the widest panoramas in the Upstate — sweeping views extend into North Carolina and Georgia on clear days, taking in Table Rock, Sassafras Mountain, and the Dismal Forest. The rocky granitic-gneiss outcrop that gives the park its name is a two-minute walk from the visitor center parking lot on US-276 (Geer Highway). The overlook is also the premier raptor-watching perch in the region: thousands of hawks, eagles, and vultures funnel past the escarpment edge each fall (September–November). The visitor center has trail maps, a small gift shop, and restrooms. Park hours are 9 a.m. to sunset; admission is charged per vehicle.