Walhalla Real Estate
Located in the center of Oconee County just west of scenic Lake Keowee, the suburban town of Walhalla welcomes you with serene tree-lined streets and small-town southern charm. Walhalla is a quiet town in Upstate South Carolina with boundless natural beauty, historic homes and churches, and a close conservative community that highly values its heritage.
History
In 1850, immigrants from Germany came to South Carolina and found a beautiful, quiet place they wanted to call home. The name, Walhalla, is derived from Old Norse “Valhalla,” referencing the heaven for glorious warriors. Today, the town of Walhalla is simply known as the “Garden of the Gods.” With its fertile lands and gorgeous landscapes of rolling hills with the Blue Ridge Mountains as its backdrop, Walhalla is as magical as its name.
In honor of the town’s German heritage, Oktoberfest is held every October and attracts people from all over and of all ages. Thousands of people flock to Walhalla to experience authentic German food and beer, Polka music, rides and games, unique arts and crafts, and the famous “apple dumplin’s!”
Scenery
Walhalla may have a small-town feel with its 3.95 square mileage and population of 4,147, but the scenery transports you to a grand land with many acres of forests, rivers, and mountains. There’s a long list of nearby hiking and mountain biking trails, waterfalls to admire, and Chattooga River rafting sites. Its location is ideal because of the accessibility to the Blue Ridge Mountains as well as to the neighboring college town, Clemson University – spirited and always full of fun!
Stumphouse Park is a popular recreation area to discover historical landmarks and scenic wildlife trails. Stumphouse Tunnel is an unfinished railway tunnel dug by hand during the Civil War and ¼ of a mile of it is open for visitors to explore. The tunnel stays at a constant and cool temperature of 50 degrees year-round. It’s also where Clemson University cured their famous bleu cheese for many years.
Stumphouse Park is also where you can find Issaqueena Falls – a breathtaking 100-foot-high waterfall surrounded by lush greenery in the summer and bright yellow and red foliage in the fall. This area also offers a waterside gazebo and shady picnic tables, so you can make your visit to the park an all-day affair.
Another stunning waterfall in Walhalla, Yellow Branch Falls, awaits at the end of a moderate 1.5-mile trail through the woods of Sumter National Forest. Kids and dogs are also welcome to hike the trail to this 50-foot-high cascade.
If you’re a river rafting enthusiast, the Chattooga River runs all the way down from the Appalachian Mountains and is accessible west of Walhalla from the Highway 28 bridge. This section of the river is also open to boaters and tubers and trout fishers.
Community
The outdoor recreation community thrives in Walhalla, but there are many other opportunities for people to come together. The exquisitely restored Walhalla Civic Auditorium is a performing arts center that consistently holds theater events with participants from local areas as well as from other regions. The walkable downtown area is great for visiting locally owned shops and antique stores, restaurants, cafes, and a variety of historic buildings. And Lake Keowee is always open for laidback bar-b-ques and sunny days on the water with friends and family.
Walhalla is both a nature-lovers paradise and a small-town family’s suburban celebration. Heritage, history, nature, and community unite this area into one great place to celebrate life.