Trails

WELCOME TO FAIRY STONE STATE PARK. To make your visit safe and more pleasant, we ask that you observe the following: Take only pictures, leave only footprints. Park in designated areas only. Please note there is a parking fee charged year- round at all Virginia State Parks. Self-pay parking information is available at the contact station. PRESERVE - Help preserve your park. Please don’t cut or mar any plants or trees. Collecting animal or plant life is allowed only for scientific purposes by permit from the Richmond headquarters. Don’t feed any wild animals. ALCOHOL - State law permits alcohol use only in private areas (inside your cabin or camping unit) or in areas designated on permits issued by the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. PETS - Pets are permitted in enclosed areas or on a leash no longer than 6 feet. Please clean up after your pet. Pets must be attended at all times. TRAIL INFORMATION DIFFICULTY SCALE EASY - From .5 to 1 mile; grades are short, typically fewer than 100 feet and less than 10 percent of the trail length; easily accomplished by all users, including older adults and those with disabilities, with little risk of injury or fatigue. MODERATE - From 1 to 5 miles; steepness and grade lengths vary; at least 60 percent of the length is fairly flat; healthy people can accomplish the trail with little risk of injury or fatigue. DIFFICULT - Trail length is greater than 5 miles; more than 70 percent of the trail is on a grade; experienced hikers only or groups of three to five people recommended; there is a risk of overexertion or injury to those not conditioned. aerial vehicles, including remote control aircraft, and aircraft in general may not be flown in state parks pursuant to 4VAC5-30-400. FISHING - A Virginia freshwater fishing license is required. Licenses and permits are available at the camp store and wherever Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources licenses are sold. PARKING - All vehicles must be parked in designated areas. Lock valuables in your trunk and keep your vehicle locked when unattended. EMERGENCY - For fire or medical emergencies, call 911. For law enforcement or critical maintenance issues, call 800- 933-7275. For law enforcement or facility emergency: Press 1; to reach the on-duty ranger press 2. INFORMATION - For more information on Virginia State Parks or to make a cabin or campsite reservation, call 800-933-PARK (7275) or visit www.virginiastateparks.gov. TRAIL SYSTEMS AT FAIRY STONE The park has two trail systems. The Stuart’s Knob system has about 4 miles of trails accessible on the north side of the lake near the boat launch. These are designated for hiking only and range from moderate to difficult. The Little Mountain Falls system is on the recreational side of the park. It has about 12 miles of trails intended for multi-use: hiking, biking and horseback riding. LAKESHORE TRAIL: This trail can be accessed from the Amphitheater trailhead parking. Lakeshore Trail follows around the edge of Fairy Stone Lake leading to a walk on top of the spillway which connects our lake to Philpott. Part of this trail shares a common right of way with Turkey Ridge, which is indicated by both yellow and blue blaze on the trees. Fairy Stone State Park TURKEY RIDGE TRAIL: This loop trail offers many steep climbs through the forest and offers a very immersive connection with nature. This trail shares a partial right of way with Lakeshore Trail. You can also access Little Mountain Falls from a section of this trail that it crosses. LITTLE MOUNTAIN FALLS TRAIL: FOR EVERYONE’S SAFETY, PLEASE FOLLOW TRAIL ETIQUETTE ON MULTI-USE TRAILS IN THE PARK. HIKERS YIELD TO HORSES. BIKERS YIELD TO HORSES AND HIKERS. DRONES AND OTHER AIRCRAFT - Drones, other unmanned LITTER - Please help us keep the park clean by placing litter and recyclables in the proper receptacles and recycle centers or carrying out your trash. The releasing of balloons is not allowed. Decorative balloons must be deflated and disposed of as trash. parallels the main roadway for the park and is designed to lead guests to the upper beach parking lot for access to the beach. This trail climbs a steep incline to two overlooks near the halfway point. The trail meanders beside a small stream that cascades into Little Mountain Falls as the trail takes a sudden 20 foot drop. For day use guests, this trail can be most easily accessed by the amphitheater trailhead parking lot. TRAIL GUIDE MOUNTAIN VIEW TRAIL This loop encircles the base of Stuart’s Knob and is the starting point for the trail system. Along this trail are several stopping points to learn about the history of moonshining in the area and various mining practices. Some abandoned iron mines are still visible from the trail. This steep and winding paved road trail passes through hardwood forest and connects with Goose Point Road. This trail runs parallel to Little Mountain Falls for a short time and offers several junctions to access that trail. Equestrian riders will access the Little Mountain Falls trail system by crossing this trail via the Horse Camp Trail. Horses are not permitted on this trail except to cross. VIRGINIA STATE PARKS ARE A TONIC FOR THE MIND, BODY AND SPIRIT. Museums, visitor centers and nearby historic sites make state parks cultural treasures. UPPER STUART’S KNOB: HORSE CAMP TRAIL: The recreational opportunities in state parks are endless and easy to see – from swimming and boating to horseshoes and hiking, there’s always something to do in a Virginia State Park. STUART’S KNOB TRAIL SYSTEM WHISKEY RUN: This steep loop trail can be accessed from Whiskey Run or Iron Mine Trail and offers a beautiful view of Fairy Stone Lake. Access to Lower Stuart’s Knob spurs from this trail. LOWER STUART’S KNOB: This trail is a short detour branching off of Upper Stuart’s Knob. From this trail you can access the Bull Mountain Overlook, which gives you a southern view of the mountain vegetation and wildlife. IRON MINE: This trail offers many stops to learn about the history of iron mining in the area prior to the park’s establishment. There are also several abandoned iron mines on the trail that have been closed off but still viewable from the trail. LITTLE MOUNTAIN FALLS TRAIL SYSTEM BEACH TRAIL: This trail can be accessed from the campground between sites 26 and 28 or from the cabin area by accessing it from the amphitheater parking lot trailhead. This trail This winding trail begins from the Equestrian Campground and crosses several streams uphill until connecting with Mountain View Trail. From there equestrian riders can access other designated trails in the Little Mountain Falls system. OAK HICKORY TRAIL: Featuring interpretive signage detailing the natural wonders that are around you as you walk through the woods, this trail is a stand-alone self-guided interpretive hike loop that does not connect in with the rest of the Little Mountain Falls system. Parking for this trail is located at the Shelter 3 and 4 parking lot. 967 Fairystone Lake Drive Stuart, VA 24171 276-930-2424 fairystone@dcr.virginia.gov FAIRY STONE HUNT SITE: The park is named after six-sided, cross-shaped stones called fairy stones by the locals. The rich vein where these curiosities erode to the surface is popular and is on park property behind Fairystone Pit Stop on Route 57, a few miles east of the park’s main entrance. A trail to the left of the station leads there. WWW.VIRGINIASTATEPARKS.GOV 800-933-PARK d e dg Ri ea ch ail 0.74 m Tr i. Fishing Pier Upper Stuart's Knob Trail 0.73 mi. 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B Equestrian Trail . mi Campground e Driv 2.1 le rda e Fay ail Tr Boat Launch / y rke Tu a Ro Fairy Stone Lake Amphitheater Cabins 1 Miles ge y dar oun Accessible 0 id Br kB Par 967 Fairystone Lake Dr. Stuart, VA 24171 276-930-2424 fairystone@dcr.virginia.gov Spillway Lakeshore Trail 0.81 mi. n io Un Fairy Stone State Park i. rse Camp Trail 1.54 mi. Fairy Stone Hunt Site 346 57 = Difficult 57 Fairys tone P ark HW Y 2.7 mi. East to Fairy Stone Hunt Site Fairystone Pit Stop