Rapidan Camp Tours

Overview:

Visitors to Shenandoah National Park, located in the stunning Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, can visit Rapidan Camp, President Herbert Hoover's rustic and beautiful summer vacation home. President and First Lady Hoover established Rapidan Camp as a summer retreat during his administration (1929 to 1933). The camp features three original buildings including the President's Cabin, the Prime Ministers Cabin and The Creel.

The Presidents Cabin, also known as the Brown House, has been restored to its 1929 appearance with original and period furniture and is an excellent reflection of not only its era, but also of President Hoover. The Prime Minister's Cabin includes an exhibit that offers visitors insight into the Hoovers' lives and their time at Rapidan Camp, as well as President Hoover's Depression-era presidency. Learn more about the history of President and Mrs. Hoovers Rapidan Camp, a National Historic Landmark.

Access to Rapidan Camp involves traveling in a Park-operated van on a seven mile unpaved administrative road. For this reason, visitors must join a Ranger-guided program to travel to the site. Ranger-guided programs to Rapidan Camp are offered Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays each week between late-May and late-October. A Ranger-guided tour of Rapidan Camp includes time inside both the Brown House and the Prime Minister's Cabin, as well as time exploring the grounds and gardens within the Historic Landmark.

• Advance Reservations. Tour space is limited. Rapidan Camp tours are available by reservation only. First-come, first-served tickets are not available at the Park. Visitors may book a reservation up to 6 months in advance and up to one day before the tour.
• Van Ride. The van ride to Rapidan Camp is approximately 30 minutes each way.
• Van Seating. Seating is limited. Some vans offer wheelchair space (see below).
• Tour Length. The total tour time (included travel) is 2.5 hours.
• Accessibility. These popular programs require some walking and standing on level ground during the tour. Visitors with mobility concerns should book the 10:00 a.m. or 2:00 p.m. tour for easier entry into and exit from the van. Both Rapidan Camp and the van for the 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. tour can accommodate a wheelchair. Visitors may book up to two wheelchair spaces on the van through the Accessible Wheelchair ONLY Tour. Wheelchair spaces are part of the same van tour as the Historic Rapidan Camp Tour offered at the same time.
• Rapidan Camp Hiking Option. Visitors may also choose to hike to Rapidan Camp without a reservation by hiking the 4-mile round-trip Mill Prong Trail that begins at Milam Gap (mile 52.4 on Skyline Drive). Hikers may download a map of the trail and the area from the park website. There is no guarantee that hikers will be able to tour the buildings, but a Park volunteer may be available to provide access to the Prime Minister's Cabin and the Brown House during certain times of the year. Check at the Harry F. Byrd, Sr. Visitor Center (mile 51 on Skyline Drive) for more information on hiking to Rapidan Camp.

The Rapidan Camp tour departs from the Byrd Visitor Center at Big Meadows (mile 51 on Skyline Drive) in Shenandoah National Park. The Park has four entrances that access Skyline Drive: Front Royal, Thornton Gap, Swift Run Gap, and Rockfish Gap. It is not recommended to rely on your GPS unit for accurate directions. There is no public transportation within Shenandoah National Park. For detailed directions to Shenandoah National Park, see our website at http://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/directions.htm.