Fairy Stone State Park: Little Mountain Loop (Blog Hike #126)

Trail: Little Mountain Falls Trail

Hike Location: Fairy Stone State Park

Geographic Location: northwest of Martinsville, VA (36.79607, -80.11288)

Length: 4.2 miles

Difficulty: 6/10 (Moderate)

Dates Hiked: March 2003, May 2014

Overview: A moderately difficult hike featuring a waterfall and views from Little Mountain.

Park Information: http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/fairy-stone.shtml#general_information
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=940894
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: From Martinsville, go west on SR 57 to SR 346.  Turn right on SR 346, which dead-ends at the park entrance.  Pay the nominal entrance fee, then bear left at the intersection immediately beyond the entrance station.  Follow the park road 0.3 miles to a small gravel parking lot on the left.  Park in this lot.  The trail system begins on the right side of the road.

The hike: Fairy Stone State Park derives its name from the hexagonal stone crystals found buried within its boundaries.  The stones often occur in pairs and intersect to form X-shapes and crosses.  Local people believed in angelic origins for the stones, but scientists explain that the stones formed under the heat and pressure exerted on the rock of the Appalachian Mountains during their formation.  Be sure to stop by the visitor center, located just inside the entrance station, either on your way in or out for a close-up view of some of the “fairy stones” that have been unearthed at the park.  The exhibit is viewable even when the center itself is closed.

The park’s attractions are not limited to unusual rocks.  The park contains 168-acre Fairy Stone Lake, which is popular for fishing, boating, and playing on the sandy beach in the summer.  There are also two campgrounds and a set of 24 cabins available for rent.

In addition to the above, the park makes an excellent hiking destination.  With over 17 miles of trails, one can hike all day for a single entrance fee.  The park is far from major population centers, so the well-marked and well-maintained trails receive comparatively little use.  There are two main trail systems located within the park.  The Stuart Knob Trail system, located on the north side of Fairy Stone Lake, features 4 miles of strenuous hiking and some nice overlooks.  This loop hike is part of the Little Mountain Trail System, located on the south side of Fairy Stone Lake, and gives the hiker both mountain-top and creek-side scenery along its course.

Trailhead: Little Mountain loop

          Begin by crossing the park road and picking up the trail as it immediately begins a moderate ascent.  The Little Mountain Falls Trail is blazed with orange, but it is joined by the white-blazed Beach Trail and blue-blazed Turkey Ridge Trail at the beginning.  The Beach Trail soon leaves to the left to descend to the campground.  Continue ascending, and in 0.1 miles the Turkey Ridge Trail exits to the left, while an orange sign directs the Little Mountain Falls Trail to the right.  The signs are not obvious, but this is the start of the loop portion of the Little Mountain Falls Trail.  You will start with the right-hand trail and return on the left trail.

Climbing on Little Mountain loop

            The trail now assumes a relatively level course with the hillside to the right and a valley to the left.  This is a special spot in early March, so listen for a chorus of bull frogs coming from the left.  Look for a pond some 50 feet beneath you, and then stop to listen once you spot it.  As you continue hiking around the hillside, the frogs will detect your presence and cease, at least momentarily.  After you pass out of range of the pond, they will start again.

1.25 miles from the start, the trail will come in sight of a blacktop road to the right.  This is a gated park road that now serves as the Mountain View Hiking and Bicycle Trail.  Our trail does not cross the road but parallels it usually a few feet below road level.  Around the 1.5 mile marker is the most difficult climb of the hike, as the trail gains over 200 feet in 0.25 miles.  Fortunately, there is an overlook with a bench near the top of this climb that provides excellent views to the east year-round.

Overlook at Fairy Stone Park

            Once atop the hill, the trail intersects the blacktop road for the last time (this is the highest point on the hike) then veers left and descends to a bench marking the midway point of the trail.  Past this bench, the trail traverses a level course near the edge of some cliffs for the next 0.3 miles and offers some nice views in the colder months.  Turning sharply left, the trail descends steeply into the upper reaches of the ravine that contains Little Mountain Falls.

For the next mile, the hike becomes a level creek-side excursion, occasionally crossing the creek on easy rock hops.  The ravine is cool in the summer, and in the winter you may find small patches of snow even weeks after the most recent snowfall.  The trail soon descends a steep section to arrive at the base of Little Mountain Falls.  The cascading falls, accessible only by this trail, are about 30 feet high and fall in two separate cascades onto sandstone rock.  An open area at the base of the falls allows for good viewing and even better listening.

Little Mountain Falls

            Past the falls, the trail continues heading downstream to where a tributary of the main stream enters from the left.  The trail crosses the tributary via a rock-hop, then curves left to begin heading west back upstream.  The trail now climbs moderately to reach a junction with the Turkey Ridge Trail.  Another left turn takes you on a short connector trail that closes the loop.  A downhill walk back to the parking area remains to complete the hike.