Fairy Stone State Park Beach
Stuart, VA
Fairy Stone State Park's lake beach sits in a park named for the mineral found here: cross shaped staurolite crystals found in only a handful of places worldwide, and Virginia has the largest concentration. It's one of the original six Virginia state parks, opened in 1936 on 4,741 acres in Patrick County.
The fairy stone hunting sets this beach apart from every other lake park in the state, though it's one of the more remote options for anyone coming from Hampton Roads or Richmond.
How we score beachesSet aside time to search for fairy stones near the park before or after a swim. Rangers can point out where digging is allowed, and finding one of the naturally cross shaped crystals is a real souvenir, not a gift shop one.
A day use fee applies at the gate. The beach lot fills by midday on a summer weekend, especially once the fairy stone hunting crowd adds to the usual swimmers.
A paved path connects the main lot to the bathhouse and beach, flat the whole way.
Guarded swimming runs Memorial Day through Labor Day, and the Blue Ridge foothills around the lake keep evenings cooler here than at lowland beaches on the coast.
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