Fairy Stone State Park (Stuart, Virginia)
In southwestern Virginia, ancient legend and trail running combine for a great outdoors experience at Fairy Stone State Park. Stuart, Virginia is located 45 about one hour south of Roanoke and is the home of Fairy Stone State Park. In November 2007, I had the opportunity test run the trails of the park and was pleasantly surprised by its beauty and solitude. Fairy Stone falls on the east side of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The park straddles Fairy Stone Lake which spills into the much larger Philpott Lake. The park boasts 18 miles of hiking trails, 10 of which are located in the Little Mountain Trail System. 
The Park also boasts The Legend of the Fairy Stone. Many hundreds of years ago, fairies were dancing around a spring of water, playing with naiads and wood nymphs, when an elfin messenger arrived from a city far away. He brought news of the death of Christ. When these creatures of the forest heard the story of the crucifixion, they wept. As their tears fell upon the earth, they crystallized to form beautiful crosses. The fairy stones are actually staurolite, a combination of silica, iron and aluminum. The staurolite crystallized at 60 or 90 degree angles, forming cross-like structure. Found only in rocks once subjected to great heat and pressure, the mineral was formed long, long ago, during the rise of the Appalachian Mountains. The stones are certainly beautiful but so is the trail running.
On this warm November day, I ran the 3.4 mile Little Mountain Falls Trail and the 1.10 mile Lakeshore Trail. Combining these trails, with the scenic roads within the park, I enjoyed 10 miles of running. The Little Mountain Falls Trail rises from the parking area to the top of Little Mountain. The trail is listed as strenuous but is definitely runnable. The trail is single track but generally three to four feet wide in most places. The footing, however, was a bit tricky with freshly fallen leaves covering the trail. I frequently stumbled over rocks and roots underneath the leaves. With these early troubles, I slowed my pace considerably and watched my foot placement carefully to avoid a turned ankle.
From the top of the mountain, the views were striking, particularly on this clear day. As the trail ran counter-clockwise along the ridge, the scenic views to the left were frequent. After about 1 mile on the ridge, the trail descended into a deep forest with numerous stream crossings. Large rocks and fallen trees made fording these streams easy. Towards the end of the loop, one is given the opportunity to run back to the parking lot or begin other trails. The Lakeshore Trail descended to the lake and ran parallel to it for over one mile. This was an easy and scenic run with constant views of Fairy Stone Lake. Only one part of the trail rises significantly from the lake. At this rise, an overlook provides a great view of the lake and surrounding mountains.
The Lakeshore Trail winds around the east side of the lake and its coves. The terminus of the trail is the spillway into Philpott Lake. Neither the 1.2 mile run to the spillway or the run back to the parking area is particularly taxing.
For more information, on Fairy Stone State Park, visit the Virginia Department of Conservation & Recreation website
