Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2019 - 12

T H E G O O D WA L K

RIGHT: Miuka
Falls tumbles
75 feet, and is
one of two great
falls along the
Winding Stairs
Trail.
FAR RIGHT:
A rhododendron
tunnel is another
great feature of
the trail.

WHEN YOU

GO

The Walk: A
moderately easy 3.5mile one way (7 miles
out-and-back) outing
past two waterfalls
near Walhalla, South
Carolina.

Trailhead
Directions: From
Walhalla, drive SC 28
West for 7.5 miles,
bear right onto SC 107
and drive 8.8 miles to
the upper trailhead.
(If doing a car shuttle,
you would have turned
right onto Tamassee
Road 5.8 miles after
turning onto SC 107
and continued another
2.5 miles to the lower
trailhead.)
More information:
A brief trail description
and map are available
onfs.usda.gov/Internet/
FSE_DOCUMENTS/
stelprdb5279505.pdf.
Additional attractions
information is on
VisitOconeeSC.com.
Find out more about
Leonard's walking and
hiking adventures at
habitualhiker.com.

12

BLUERIDGECOUNTRY.COM

By LEONARD M. ADKINS

PERFECT DAY IN SOUTH CAROLINA

An Easy Walk
and Other Delights
The Winding Stairs Trail, especially when paired with a visit to nearby
Walhalla, combined the outdoors with learning and dining.

O

conee County, South Carolina, provided Laurie and me with one of those rare
perfect days where nothing disappoints
and everything exceeds expectations.
The day began on what may be one
of the state's most perfect woodlands
strolls, Winding Stairs Trail. Why perfect? Well, first off it loses only 1,000 feet in elevation along its 3.5-mile length; no steep inclines to
cause pain to knees or ankles. If you are unable
to do a car shuttle, the return walk back up the
mountain is on this same moderately easy slope.
Secondly, it passes through a multitude of rhododendron and mountain laurel along with other

spring and summertime flowers. Thirdly, there are
two great waterfalls that require just a bit of offtrail scrambling to enjoy. And, finally, if you can't
find a good backcountry campsite, there's a forest
service campground located a few steps from its
lower end.
We met Ken Sloan, president and CEO of Visit
Oconee South Carolina, at the upper trailhead. As
we walked, he gathered and educated us on the virtues of chanterelle mushrooms.
"They're incredibly versatile. I put them in just
about anything-scrambled eggs, soup, pizza, sautéed. I even freeze them for use later."
The first waterfall, 75-foot Miuka Falls, can be


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Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2019

Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2019 - Intro
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2019 - Cover1
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2019 - Cover2
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2019 - 3
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