- twodogoutdoors
Searching for Fairy Stones
Two Dog Outdoors celebrated this last long weekend by braving the decreasing temperatures and visiting relatives in Virginia. In between the cold snaps and rain spells, we exercised the kids in the woods and ventured over to a local gem called Fairy Stone State Park.
Fairy Stone State Park is located approximately 15 minutes from Martinsville, Virginia in the southwestern corner of the state. The Park also boasts a 168 acre lake, cabins, a campground, and many hiking trails. The draw to the park for the Two Dog crew was the Fairy Stones.
Fairy Stones are not stones fairies, which disappointed some of our young crew, but small crystals that look like crosses carved in rocks. These crystals are only found in Virginia, Georgia, New Mexico, Brazil, and Switzerland. The crystals are formed approximately seven miles underground and as the Blue Ridge Mountains began to rise up and form, the fairy stones rose close to the surface. The legend behind the Fairy Stones is equally as interesting as their formation.
The most widely accepted legend surrounding the Fairy Stones begins with Chief Powhatan reigning over the land that is now Virginia. In his kingdom, fairies danced around the water along with naiads and wood nymphs. One day, an elfin messenger arrived and told the fairies of the death of Christ. When the fairies heard the news, they wept and their tears fell to the ground to form stone crosses.
This time of year, with less foot traffic in the park, the stones were plentiful. Our group found the most stones near the roots of trees and hiked about a half mile down the trail. If you find yourself in the vicinity of Martinsville or are up for a road trip, check out Fairy Stone State Park. The kids will love playing in dirt and adding to their rock collection.
-Corey
