Fairy Stone State Park: Stuart’s Knob (Blog Hike #298)

Trails: Iron Mine, Whiskey Run, and Lower Stuart’s Knob Trails

Hike Location: Fairy Stone State Park

Geographic Location: northwest of Martinsville, VA (36.79851, -80.11705)

Length: 3 miles

Difficulty: 6/10 (Moderate)

Dates Hiked: April 2010, May 2014

Overview: An interesting hike past abandoned iron mines and great views.

Park Information: http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/fairy-stone.shtml#general_information

Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=722560
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.  Just before reaching the official park entrance, turn left on Union Bridge Road (CR 623).  Take CR 623 0.8 miles to the signed Stuart Knob trailhead parking on the left.

The hike: If you followed the driving directions above, then you reached the iron mines on Stuart’s Knob by coming down the Goblintown Creek ravine on SR 346.  However, the people who actually worked in these iron mines would have reached this point by riding a spur of the Norfolk Western Railroad up the ravine.  Throughout the 1800’s iron was mined from Stuart’s Knob using the old-fashioned method of pick and shovel.  In 1906, the operation was modernized with the introduction of air-driven jackhammers to dislodge the iron and a magnetized tipple to separate the iron from the other non-magnetic rock.

Only 7 years later, the mines would be closed as it became cheaper to import iron ore from other countries than to mine it here in Virginia.  (Socioeconomic comment: things have not changed much in 100 years, have they?)  The mining town that had sprung up at the base of Stuart’s Knob became a ghost town soon thereafter.  During Prohibition, these hills were used by moonshiners to hide their illegal alcohol producing operations from the authorities.  In the mid 1930’s the CCC established a camp in the area and dammed Goblintown Creek to create Philpott and Fairy Stone Lakes.  These lakes submerged the ghost town and the old railroad spur.  The CCC also built many of the facilities that would form Fairy Stone State Park, one of the first state parks in Virginia.

Included in the CCC’s construction projects were two trail systems, the Little Mountain Trail System described elsewhere in this blog and the Stuart’s Knob Trail System described here.  Although the Stuart’s Knob Trail System is good enough to be the primary hiking destination in most parks, it is the secondary one here due to its shorter length and its location away from the rest of the park’s main facilities.  During my hike here on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon, I encountered only two other hikers; being the second-best can have its advantages.

Trailhead: Stuart's Knob trail system

            The trails at Stuart’s Knob are accessed by a common entrance trail which leads uphill from the information board at the trailhead.  Stop as you climb to read some interpretive signs and catch your breath.  At 0.1 miles, the trail forks as you reach a junction with the Iron Mine Trail, which is blazed in yellow.  Before turning right on the Iron Mine Trail, take a minute to study the abandoned iron mine which appears as a tunnel heading into the mountain directly in front of you.  Some of the smaller rocks around you were originally inside the mine, blasted out here and then discarded due to their lack of iron content.  Some interpretive signs tell more about the mine’s history, but a metal grate bars entry into the mine.

Abandoned iron mine

            Starting along the Iron Mine Trail, the trail maintains a constant elevation with the knob rising to the left and falling to the right.  At 0.2 miles, you reach the intersection that forms the loop portion of this hike.  The Iron Mine Trail continuing uphill and to the left will be our return route.  For now, turn right to begin the blue-blazed Whiskey Run Trail.

The Whiskey Run Trail starts by exploring the low-elevation ravines that drain the north face of Stuart’s Knob.  During Prohibition, remote, steep-walled, rhododendron choked ravines such as these were used to conceal illegal whiskey stills, hence the trail’s name.  Producers of this whiskey would carry out their operations at night by the light of the moon, hence the name moonshine.  Some more interpretive signs tell of the people who made moonshine here and the productions they undertook.

Whiskey Run Trail

            Most of the forest on the north side of the knob is white pine forest with a few hardwoods thrown in.  The forest near the beginning of this trail has taken considerable damage from the southern pine beetle, but the rest seems to be faring better.  After passing another old iron mine, CR 717 comes into view uphill and to the right as the trail gradually curves left to cross the north, west, and south faces of Stuart’s Knob.  Most modern sidehill trails are only a couple feet wide, but this sidehill trail was built by the CCC and hence is wide enough for two hikers to walk side-by-side easily.

Over the next mile the trail will gain several hundred feet in elevation as it gradually climbs Stuart’s Knob.  About halfway along this journey, an old quarry can be seen downhill and to the right.  This quarry was used by the CCC to obtain rocks for some of their building projects.  At 1.6 miles, you reach the first overlook.  This overlook faces east and gives a nice view of Fairy Stone Lake, the state park’s beach, and Little Mountain in that order from foreground to background.

Beach overlook

            The overlook also marks the trail intersection at which the Whiskey Run Trail ends and the Iron Mine Trail goes straight and left.  Turn left to continue climbing on the Iron Mine Trail.  After 0.1 miles of intense climbing, you reach another trail intersection where you should turn left to continue climbing Stuart’s Knob on the Upper Stuart’s Knob Trail.  Note that continuing straight on the Iron Mine Trail here would shorten this hike to only 2.8 miles, but it would also miss a nice overlook.

Climbing toward Stuart's Knob

             The grade lessens as the Upper Stuart’s Knob Trail continues climbing the knob using a single switchback.  When I hiked this trail in early April, the area was made more scenic by some flowering redbud trees giving a pink glaze over the otherwise brown hillside.  At 2.05 miles, the trail again forks with the Upper Stuart’s Knob Trail continuing straight and the Lower Stuart’s Knob Trail heading sharply left.  The two trails rejoin in 0.25 miles, so the choice is yours.  While the upper trail takes you closer to the knob’s summit, the lower trail actually gives the best view, so this hike will turn left and use the lower option.

After 0.15 miles of level hiking, you arrive at the west-facing overlook.  On a clear day you can see Fairy Stone Farms Wildlife Management Area in the foreground and foreboding Bull Mountain looming in the background.  A bench at this overlook makes for a nice place to rest at the highest point on this hike.

Bull Mountain overlook

            A short distance past the overlook, the Upper and Lower Stuart’s Knob Trails rejoin and begin to descend the knob.  At 2.3 miles, the Upper Stuart’s Knob Trail ends at the Iron Mine Trail, where you should angle left to continue descending.  Notice the areas of high relief on the east side of the knob (in front of you at this intersection). 

The Iron Mine Trail descends the north side of the knob using four switchbacks.  At 2.75 miles, a spur trail exits right leading to another old iron mine.  You can hike this trail if you wish, but the trail is steep, and the mine looks similar to the two you saw earlier on this hike.  2.8 miles into the hike, you close the loop as the Whiskey Run Trail enters from the left.  Angling right here leads you back to the entrance trail at 2.9 miles.  A left turn on the entrance trail and 0.1 miles of downhill hiking will return you to the parking area and complete the hike.