President and Mrs. Hoover on the bridge over Mill Prong at Rapidan Camp.
NPS / Shenandoah National Park · Public domain

Rapidan Camp

Down Mill Prong to President Hoover's 1929 summer retreat.

Stays on the map
Distance
4 mi
round trip
Elevation gain
870 ft
Hiking time
2 hr 45 min
NPS estimate, no breaks
Difficulty
Moderate
NPS scale

Cross Skyline Drive from Milam Gap, take the Appalachian Trail a few feet to the post, then follow Mill Prong down to Rapidan Camp, where Herbert and Lou Henry Hoover spent summers during his presidency. Three stream crossings, each about eight feet wide, can be hard after rain.

Dogs allowed on a leash

Leash no longer than 6 feet at all times. NPS pet rules

Park entrance pass only

$30 per vehicle, good for 7 days, or an annual pass. NPS fees

Highlights

  • Presidential camp from 1929
  • Mill Prong stream
  • Starts on Skyline Drive

Before you go

  • Turn around if stream crossings look unsafe.

Where to stay, by the drive

Rank on the map

Ordered by drive time to the parking area, then by how close the stay is to this area and how complete and current its listing is. How ranking works.

Exterior of Big Meadows Lodge.
Unclaimed

Big Meadows Lodge

Lodge rooms and cabins inside the park · Skyline Drive, mile 51

9min drive

2.8 mi by road · 2 mi straight

Sunrise over Big Meadows.
Unclaimed

Big Meadows Campground

National park campground (reservation only) · Skyline Drive, mile 51

8min drive

2.6 mi by road · 2 mi straight

Moss phlox on the rocks at Crescent Rock Overlook in spring.
Unclaimed

Lewis Mountain Cabins

Rustic cabins inside the park · Skyline Drive, mile 57.5

11min drive

5 mi by road · 4.7 mi straight

Exterior of the Skyland dining room and taproom.
Unclaimed

Skyland

Lodge rooms and cabins inside the park · Skyline Drive, mile 41.7

25min drive

10.6 mi by road · 7.3 mi straight

4 more beyond 60 minutes
Main Street in Sperryville, Virginia, in October.
Unclaimed

Hopkins Ordinary

Bed and breakfast with a brewery · Sperryville

1 hr 1 mindrive

28.5 mi by road · 16.1 mi straight

Fields toward the Blue Ridge from Route 231 near Etlan, Madison County.
Unclaimed Some pet-friendly units

Graves Mountain Farm & Lodges

Lodge rooms, cabins, farmhouses and campground · Syria

1 hr 17 mindrive

44.7 mi by road · 6.5 mi straight

Panorama across a field toward Old Rag from Route 231 near Etlan.
Host verified Dogs welcome

Birch's Library

Cabin, 1865 homestead · Syria

1 hr 36 mindrive

49.7 mi by road · 6.3 mi straight

Sources

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