Description

Fairy Stone State Park is home of the mysterious "fairy stones." It is one of the six original Virginia state parks to open on June 15, 1936. The treasured stone so prevalent in the region, beautiful scenery, rich history and ample recreational opportunities make Fairy Stone one of the favorites of park visitors. Roanoke newspaper publisher Junius B. Fishburn donated the 4537-acre site, making it the largest of the six original parks and one of the largest to this day.

The Legend of the Fairy Stone: Many hundreds of years before Chief Powhatan's reign, fairies were dancing around a spring of water, 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 stones. When the fairies disappeared from the enchanted place, ground about the spring and the adjacent valley was strewn with these mementos of the event. For many years people held these little crosses in superstitious awe, firm in the belief that they protected the wearer against witchcraft, sickness, accidents and disaster. Fairy stones are staurolite, a combination of silica, iron and aluminum. Together, these minerals crystallize in twin form, accounting for the crosslike structure. Found only in rocks that have been subjected to great heat and pressure, the stones are most commonly shaped like St. Andrew's and Roman crosses. The most sought after are those in the shape of the Maltese cross. Staurolite crosses are also found in the mountains of North Carolina and in Switzerland, but nowhere else in the world are they found in such abundance as in the vicinity of Fairy Stone State Park.

Fairy Stone State Park comprises 4537 acres, and a 168 acre lake which spills into the Philpott Reservoir. A small dam and spillway separate the two lakes and does not allow for boat access from lake to lake. Only non-gasoline powered boats are allowed on Fairy Stone Lake.