Definitely a unique experience! The Stumphaus Tunnel is an unfinished tunnel in Walhalla, SC, ,…read morecut through a portion of Stumphaus Mountain. It was started in 1853 and Irish miners dug using hand drills; however it was never finished due in part to the Civil War. All ages can easily walk the tunnel. There was even a dog in the group ahead of us. It is completely black inside so I suggest visiting with a group and bringing a flashlight. There was nothing scary......just total darkness! It's not super long......walking all the way to the end and back took less than 30 minutes. Admission to the park was $5 for a car of 5 of us and there was free parking right near the entrance. We also walked to the viewing area of Issaqueena Falls which is just a short trek away. Very cool experience overall!

The tunnel is cool, but very short. The trails make up for it and the waterfalls are a great sight…read more No wait time, no reservations recommended, price to entry $1-5. But make sure you have a flashlight with you to go into the tunnels and the waterfalls is so pretty. I recommend this to anyone who want to adventure.

I was enjoying a walk at the botanical gardens and saw the sign near where I'd parked. It's a…read moresteady, mild incline 1/2 mile up and down a gravel road to the viewpoints. Not by any means the prettiest trek, but lovely views at the top of course. I did encounter sections of monster mosquitos about 3/4 the way up and around the rocky viewing areas. I didn't arrive at sunset or rise, so I can't account for that aspect. But I found some of the other viewpoints in the area equally pretty, so I probably wouldn't go out of my way for these. And, I enjoyed the setting of the botanical preserve trails below much better. Still yet, I'm sure it would've been a different experience during the right time of day.

Loved this place! It's a half mile walk in a gravel road but to be able to watch the sunset was so…read morebeautiful!! Will definitely be back.

Quaint town. Expensive boutique shops. Very faith based community…read more It has a very Main Street USA feel to it. In my opinion, not a lot of great restaurants, so they need to work on that. However McFarlane's bakery is amazing! Asheville is not far, so you can always enjoy the Biltmore and the other attractions in that area. There are better restaurants in that area, but they are usually more crowded and can be expensive also.

Downtown Hendersonville is a great downtown to spend some time in. Paid parking lots are available…read morein different area, and there are some free places to park. The first thing you will notice downtown is the bears. They are all over the place and each is so unique. The bears are auctioned off each fall to provide money to charities. It is an easy downtown to walk around with plenty of crosswalks and benches to rest and watch your surroundings. Downtown has numerous restaurants; shops; museums; art galleries to keep you busy. Festivals appear to be held throughout the year as well. An antique show was occurring while I was downtown. I liked the setup that Main Street was closed but the side streets were still open to traffic.

Definitely not a tourist spot because it's located behind private property. Multiple of signs that…read moresay no trespassing, yet the rope was down and there was fresh tire marks on the gravel before I got there. It's about a 0.6 mile drive up a very gravel, windy road to the dam. Only one car can fit the road so once you drive up to the dam, you have to carefully reverse your car to make a save U-turn. This place hasn't been taken care of in years. The trees are so high and leafy that you can't get a clear view of the dam. You can definitely hear it and feel the mist. It was honestly worth the drive for me, coming from Orlando. We don't get much dams or don't have any dams at all. I hope this place gets taken care of soon. It's too beautiful to pass up, but also so dangerous to risk driving up the gravel. The neighbors will definitely eye your car when driving to the dam. A beautiful sight to see though with the farm land and mountains.

CASCADE LAKE DAM FALLS is probably one of the most amazing dam overflows you may ever witness…read more Without a doubt there are far larger and more impressive dam overflows around the country and the world... but for a small lake dam in the back woods of North Carolina, it is TRULY SPECTACULAR!!! One of the things that makes it so outstanding is the natural setting it is located. Part of the dam uses the natural cliff surrounding it, giving it a little character when the waterflow is high or low. PRO TIP - There is a sign posted saying no trespassing near one of the two goat trails to the top of the dam from the road, so you might want to think twice about climbing down. However, if you do there IS a metal rope to help with the steepness of the trail on the right. Just know the dam is easily photographed from the road without illegally trespassing, although I don't quite understand how it is trespassing when you can literally kayak to the dam from Hooker Falls! [ THE LAKE ] The dam is said to have been built more than 100 years ago and the surrounding property has been owned and managed by the same family for most of that time. A battle over the will & testament of Charles Pickelsimer has left the lake, dam and even a campground in peril. Some websites say the dam is in need of inspection, but nothing has been done as the court battle raged on between Pickelsimer's children whom contested parts of the will. Charlie's father is said to have built the dam as well as started an electric and telephone company. You can still see an old wooden tube now damaged and decayed, but once upon a time it send massive amounts of water downstream to a mid-1900's hydro-power plant. [ THINGS TO KNOW ] Total Hiking Distance: 0 miles (roadside) Difficulty: Easy to see from the right spot on the road Creek Crossings: NO Elevation Gain: n/a Waterfall Height: 40-50 feet approx. Access to top of falls: YES (but may be considered trespassing) Access to base of falls: NO Pool of water @ base of Falls: YES Sitting areas @ base: NO RESTROOMS: NO PARKING: YES (room for about 2 cars along road) [ FINAL THOUGHTS ] CASCADE LAKE is where all the water from nearby Hooker, High and Triple Falls flows to become impounded by CASCADE LAKE DAM. It inevitably continuing its journey down Little River and eventually joins the massive French Broad River that flows through the heart of Asheville! From there it makes it to the great Tennessee River and butterflies kisses the Northwestern tip of Georgia before eventually releasing into the Mighty Mississippi and then Gulf of New Mexico. Just a fun little geography journey for those of you who wonder about the "Eastern Continental Divide" signs scattered throughout the area. All the water that falls on the east side of the divide flows toward the Atlantic Ocean while all the water on the western side of the divide flows toward the Gulf of New Mexico. 2021 / 49

Lick Log & Pigpen Falls are two waterfalls found along a mile long section of the Chattooga River…read moreTrail, which can be access via the Foothills Trail from the Nicholson Ford Road parking area. The 2.2 mile gravel road can be extremely narrow in several areas, making it impossible for two cars going in opposite directions to pass each other. If you are squeamish about narrow mountain passes, you may want to think twice about driving here. The trailhead from the parking lot uses white blaze markers. You will cross two wooden footbridges and about a half mile in you will come to the intersection of Foothills Trail and Chattooga Trail. Turn left at the intersection onto Chattooga Trail. Within 30 feet you will see a slender ground sign with an arrow pointing towards Lick Log Falls and just beyond the sign, Pigpen falls will come into view on your left. [ THE FALLS ] PIGPEN FALLS is approximately 25 feet tall, but not all of it is visible due to heavy vegetation masking the upper portion of the waterfall. The waterfall itself is really interesting because there is a main area, but also the side-slanting nature of the stones carries a stream of water off to the right for a little more dramatic effect. There is a small shallow pool of water at its base that would be a better vantage point for photo's if you don't mind getting your feet wet. Continue along Chattooga Trail across the footbridge until you reach LICK LOG FALLS. It was here I instantly wished that I owned a drone, because THIS waterfall is difficult to see in its entirety. A drone would have given me a superior vantage point. The total height of the waterfall is said to be about 80 feet, but that is spread out over two dramatic upper tiers (visible from the trail), a series of cascades (completely masked by vegetation) and a large lower tier that spills directly into the Chattooga River. To access the lower tier, you must traverse down a STEEP side trail leading to the sandy shores of the Chattooga River. Turn right and the grand lower falls is right there! [ THE NAME LICK LOG ] Lick Log is a strange name, one that made me wonder what the heck someone was thinking when naming the creek from which this waterfall gets its name. So, I did a little research and found that licklog is an old term used by early ranchers. They would carve out a trough from a tree trunk and fill it with salt for cows to lick. In turn this would make the cows thirsty and the rancher would then lead them to a river for a drink. Typically, this would happen just before the rancher would take them to be slaughtered. It was used as a trick to increase their weight, possibly so the rancher could earn more money per pound. Because it was the last thing the cow would do before being slaughtered, the term lick log became synonymous with meaning "down to the last possible second." Lawyers began to coin the term licklog as a way of saying they have exhausted all efforts to resolve a matter. THUS Lick Log is a very appropriate name for this waterfall because the creek literally flows down the waterfall to the last possible second before spilling into the Chattooga River. [ FINAL THOUGHTS ] Although I deducted a star for both falls being difficult to see, this will not be the last of my reviews along this trail. The Chattooga River is absolutely one of the most scenic rivers I've ever visited and acts as a border between South Carolina and Georgia. The Chattooga Trail totals 15 miles one way and feature three other waterfalls: Spoonauger (50'), Big Bend (30') and King Creek (70'). My goal this summer will be to organize a group hike with my hiking buddies Jamarcus and Bill, where we park cars at both ends of the trail for a coordinated one-way day hike! If you've ever wanted to hike with our crew, this will be one of the biggest hikes of the year! However, whether you want to hike the entire Chattooga Trail or just the 1 mile section from Nicholas Ford Road to the base of Lick Log Falls, you are in for a multiple waterfall treat! Enjoy! 2019/12

What a nice surprise on what basically is a nature walk! Lick Log & Pigpen Falls can be found if…read moreyou walk towards the Chattooga RIver trail from the gravel lot. Be sure to take the foothills trail, because the Chattooga river trail continues on in the opposite direction of these two falls and if you're not careful, you'll never see these! Before I get to the pleasant hike, you should be aware of the drive. Yep, there is a gravel road that initially is wide, but quickly turns into a one lane road. On our drive, we came across two water crossings that I wasn't sure that my Honda accord could cross without stalling out, but cross it we did! Still, after or during heavy rains, you may need a 4WD vehicle to get past the water. You'll eventually make it to a fork in a road. To the left is a private drive and to the right ultimately leads to the small parking lot. The Chattooga river trail along the foothills trail is approximately 0.7 miles and not even halfway into the walk you'll come across Pigpen falls. Pigpen is off the trail, and you hear it before you see it. It's really covered with heavy vegetative growth, and I imagine it's a bit easier to see from the trail during the winter months when all the vegetation has cleared a bit. It's not a really large waterfall, but it's a cool one to see nonetheless. Along the trail, you'll pass several small cascades, a campfire spot, and ultimately you'll come up on a series of signs in a clearing. Pointing to the left is a sign with an arrow towards Lick LG Falls. You can continue straight to the Chattooga foot hills North trail (although you wont catch Lick log this way). We had the entirety of Lick Lock falls to ourselves, and man I smiled ear to ear when I saw it. The fall ends here, draining out into a pond, and I thought the waterfall to the left was basically all of Lick Log, but i noticed that far and away up, I could see water coming down through the brush. Man if this was cleared, it would be an impressive fall...more impressive than it already was! One of the longer wooden bridges (you'll cross three) along the trail is here, and it just adds to the charm of this lush wonderland. Difficulty of this hike is barely there. I personally wouldn't call it a hike so much as I would call it a nature walk. Very small incline that you walk down into and slightly climb out of on your way out. So are both Lick Log falls and Pigpen falls worth a drive out? If you live close, it's a no brainer. Even if you're like me and you're coming from Atlanta, it's definitely worth it if you bundle it with other waterfalls like we did. When (not if) I return, i'll continue further along the trail for more exploration, but for now, i'm quite pleased with what I found here! Check it out!!

Extremely well researched and compelling exhibits. The volunteers were very knowledgeable and…read morehelpful. I learned a lot about the human losses in constructing and running the railroad. A great balance of types of exhibits- a must for train enthusiast and history buffs.

This a beautifully renovated train depot, unfortunately on this day the museum was closed I didn't…read morelook into the daily operating hours being this was an unscheduled stop. I did walk around the building and peeked through the windows and missing the opportunity to tour this was a little disappointing but it was a cool place and fortunately the young lady staffing the visitor center had a wealth of knowledge and if you get a chance to visit this train depot during normal business hours a quick stop at the visitor center will likely enhance your experience and it only a short walk between the two. It's nice to see the community has invested in preserving this important piece of history and it's definitely a tribute to the community of volunteers that donate their time and knowledge to share such an important cause...

This marker is located in downtown Highlands in front of the City Hall and points out this great…read moreman who moved here after being struck by North Carolina's beauty. The marker reads, "Thomas Harbison, 1862-1936. Botanist and educator. Pioneer in the study of flora, southeastern U.S. Highlands his base after 1886; taught here." Online there is more information, "Thomas Grant Harbison (1862-1936) studied the flora of his native Pennsylvania before heading south in 1886 on a walking trip to North Carolina. He was smitten with the natural beauty of the mountains and their abundant plant life. At Highlands he accepted a position as principal at Highlands Academy in August 1886. His education was unconventional. Through correspondence courses offered by the University of the City of New York, he earned a B.S. and an A.M. and a Ph.D. from the National University (Chicago) in 1888. He boasted an extensive personal library and was largely self-taught. In 1896 he married Jessamine Cobb." "Harbison was a consultant to the federal government on national forests, a promoter of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and a landscape architect. His farm in Highlands hosted field experiments with apples and other crops conducted by agronomists from Clemson, South Carolina." There isn't a great spot to stop and park right here but there is street parking nearby so that you can explore Highlands. [Review 20017 overall - 3457 in North Carolina - 992 of 2023.]

The ranger was full of information. We enjoyed his history of story telling. There is also a clean…read morerestroom near by

The history of this place is very interesting and provides a glimpse into post Colonial life in the…read moreUpcountry. In the late 1700s, this area was truly the wilderness and the two structures provide an interesting look into important historic events and culture. The settlement was originally an encampment and fort to protect against Indian attacks in 1760. The fort provided some protection to the settlers and served as a trading post. The site marks the furthest west point of Colonial settlement in South Carolina. By 1799, the Soldiers left and Cherokee Indians used the blockhouse to store furs and to trade. An 1805 brick house is also on site. The area served as a stagecoach stop throughout the 1800s. The park itself is quite beautiful. You can tour the buildings on Saturday when they open them up, or you can visit them anytime the park is open. There are two trails that lead to the Palmetto Trail. A 1.5 mile hike from the station or a .6 mile hike from the parking area just up the road leads to Falls, a 60 foot waterfall that is easy and kid friendly. It's also quite stunning. There are restrooms and picnic tables at the site. The Ranger is very nice and helpful. There is no fee, but donations are accepted (and I recommend people donate).