Escape the summer heat by exploring these 4 amazing SC caves and tunnels
Although you may or may not be a spelunking expert, it might be fun to take your friends or members of your family on a trip to explore some of the local caves and caverns South Carolina has to offer.
Although the Palmetto State might not be known for its adventurous and extensive caving systems or tours of such, it does have several caves scattered about to explore.
Here are four caves and tunnels for you to discover and everything you should know about them to plan your next trip before summer ends, including the most well-known cave in the state.
Stumphouse Tunnel
The Stumphouse Tunnel is located within Stumphouse Park at Stumphouse Tunnel Road in Walhalla. The tunnel features a family-friendly 1.4-mile walk into the tunnel, which maintains a constant 50 degrees. Visitors are recommended to bring their flashlights and afterward, you can enjoy the nearby park picnic shelter, picnic tables, restrooms and more.
The tunnel was dug using hand tools prior to the Civil War, but was never completed. At one point, Clemson University cured bleu cheese inside the tunnel for decades, according to Visit Oconee South Carolina.
Admission into the 440 acre Stumphouse Park is $5 per vehicle and includes, Stumphouse Tunnel, Issaqueena Falls, the Stumphouse Passage of the Palmetto Trail, Stumphouse Mountain Bike Park and Blue Ridge Railroad hiking trail. Picnic tables, rental event pavilion, portable restrooms.
Forty Acre Rock Heritage Preserve
Found in Kershaw at 2207 Conservancy Road, the Forty Acre Rock Heritage Preserve is open daily during daylight hours and is one of the state’s most popular hiking areas.
The destination’s trail leads visitors over and across the huge boulder, granting views of a nearby waterfall where you can discover and explore the caves and underground landscape. The preserve also has nearly a dozen rare, threatened, or endangered plant and wildlife species that are protected there.
“The rock seems bigger than life, larger than its actual 14 acres. The entire Forty Acre Rock Heritage Preserve encompasses 2,965 acres of the most diverse protected area in the Piedmont region, including granitic flatrocks, waterslides, waterfalls, beaver pond, caves, hardwood and pine forests, and a variety of wildflowers and wildlife. The Forty Acre Rock Heritage Preserve & Wildlife Management Area is designated as a National Natural Landmark,” detailed SCDNR.
Moonshine Falls
Head on over to Moonshine Falls, which combines nature lovers’ admiration for both caves and waterfalls. The destination features a 40-foot waterfall that is divided between an upper section with a cave and water flowing through the rocks, which falls to the lower section highlighting a shallow crystal pool.
The falls, and the accompanying cave, can be found in Cleveland at 150 Asbury Drive.
Jones Gap State Park
Jones Gap State Park at 303 Jones Gap Road in Marietta is a popular destination for visitors to engage in a myriad of activities, such as geocaching, bird watching, fishing, hiking, backpacking and spelunking. For spelunking, cavers can explore Misty Cavern Falls, which is a shallow cave found within Jones Gap State Park.
Admission into the park changes depending on your age group. Admission is $6 for adults, $3.75 for seniors aged 65 and older, $3.50 for children aged 6-15 and is free for children aged 5 and under.
