Posted December 10, 2015 | Updated July 16, 2017

Once again the blogger Only in Your State has chosen a couple Virginia State Parks to include in the article titled 12 Mysterious, Unusual Spots In Virginia You Never Knew Existed and this time we had two of the 12 entries, that equals one quarter. So as for mysterious, I think we are very mysterious. We placed as number 1 and number 7.

#1 Mysterious Fairy Stones found at Fairy Stone State Park

Hunt for Fairy Stones, these little staurolite crosses occur naturally at Fairy Stone State Park 

Fairy Stones are pretty fun to find and keep

Hunt for fairy stones year-round, but no digging tools are allowed

This is what fairy stones look like in the rough, and how you will see them

What is a Fairy Stone?

Staurolite is found only in a few regions in the world, and Fairy Stone State Park in Patrick County Virginia is one of them. Wiki shares:

                        Staurolite is a regional metamorphic mineral of intermediate to high grade. It occurs with almandine garnet, micas, kyanite; as well as albite, biotite, and sillimanite in gneiss and schist of regional metamorphic rocks. (If you look closely at the fairy stones in the above photo you can see the small holes that may house or housed garnets).

A special property of staurolite is that it often occurs twinned in a characteristic cross-shape, called penetration twinning. In hand samples, macroscopically visible staurolite crystals are of prismatic shape. They are often larger than the surrounding minerals and are then called porphyroblasts. This is what gives it the cross shapes.

Types of Fairy Stone Crosses

There are generally four types of staurolite crystal formations. The first is “single” which is only one crystal and does not form a cross. The next type is a “Roman cross” which is the most reminiscent of a Christian cross. The third shape is a “Maltese cross” which looks like a cross, except the secondary crystal isn’t long enough to extend past the primary crystal. The last is called a “St. Andrews” and resembles an X. The crystals are hexagonal, or six sided.

What is the legend of the Fairy Stone?

Long, long ago there where fairies that inhabited a remote area in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. They roamed free while enjoying the beauty of their enchanted habitat.

One day, while playing in a sunny glade, an elfin messenger arrived from a faraway city bearing the sad news of Christ’s death. Upon hearing the terrible details of the crucifixion, the fairies wept. 

As their tears fell to the earth, they crystallized into little stone crosses which can still be found to this day.

Although the story is based in myth, fairy stones are real. As opposed to being formed from the tears of fairies, they are actually a mineral composed of iron aluminum silicate. This mineral is commonly known as staurolite and forms into regular crystals which often become “twinned” and take the shape of crosses or X’s. 

Other Uses for Staurolite

Staurolite is one of the index minerals that are used to estimate the temperature, depth, and pressure at which a rock undergoes metamorphism.

Helpful Hints for Hunting Fairy Stones

A former Fairy Stone State Park manager told me the best way to find these magical stones is to look near tree roots that stick out above the soil, as they will be unhidden or caught there during heavy rains.

You can hunt fairy stones on the designated location given to you by the park office, they will give you directions and a print-out about each fairy stone shape. You may not use any digging tools or implements, but your hands only, and you can keep what you find. If you don't find any or want a polished fairy stone for a necklace or earrings, visit the park gift shop where they sell them for under $10. They make great gifts.

This is a darker polished Roman Cross fairy stone on a leather cord

#7. The Ghost Town of Wash Woods at False Cape State Park

Historic Wash Woods Graveyard at False Cape State Park

Wash Woods settlement Methodist Church Steeple is all that remains of the church

One of the former residents of Wash Woods at False Cape State Park

Located in the furthermost southeast corner of Virginia this is the former home of Native Americans, the historic Wash Woods community and a Coast Guard lifesaving station which was active until the 1950's and now abandoned. False Cape honors the hardy souls who made a living from the sea and is located off the coast of Virginia Beach. 

Located along the section of ocean known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic, the town of Wash Woods was subject to the severe weather conditions which had brought the lumber to shore to build it. By the 1920s the seawater began to inundate the thin sliver of sand so that the townspeople began to leave by the 1930s. During its peak it was home to about 300 residents. Due to its location on the eastern flyway, the site became the sold as one of the best duck hunting locations and leased by several hunt clubs. Today, the area is a Virginia state park, adjoining the federally managed Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge. 

Access to Wash Woods at False Cape State Park

• Park access is restricted, and the primitive conditions at the Park make it difficult for all but the seasoned back country camper. 
• In the spring and summer, a tram is available to take customers to the park, through the Back Bay Wildlife Refuge. Riders get off the tram at the Barbour Hill contact station or the Wash Woods area and can explore the park for several hours. While the tram is accessible with advance notice, wheel chair users are limited to the roadways in the immediate vicinity of the contact station since deep sand is the norm from that point on. There is no shelter available to get out of weather. While there is a non-flush toilet in the vicinity, it has no rails, nor is the door wide enough for wheelchair access (there is a platform leading to the facility).
• Back Bay Wildlife Refuge reports they are offering Winter Tram Tours, click here for details. 
• The Terra-Gator is not universally accessible. The ramp to accomplish this is unfortunately too long to be transported by the particular vehicle.
• Persons with various ability levels that do not require wheelchairs can find the park usable within their limits of mobility. Certain health conditions can limit the park's accessibility.

Sunrise along the beach at False Cape State Park

The Google maps below show the location of both mysterious, unusual spots in Virginia that happen to be two fabulous Virginia State Parks:

FIND YOUR PARK

With 37 Virginia State Parks to choose from, what mysteries do you want to find and where do you want to go? Click here to see a map of them all.

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Editor's note: I hunted for the Fairy Stones pictured above, and that is my hand with real fairy stones I found. I keep that first little staurolite cross in my purse as a keepsake. I hope you can enjoy both of these mysterious Virginia State Parks soon.

Posted December 10, 2015 | Updated July 16, 2017