Rapidan Camp Tours

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: the President's Cabin, the Prime Minister's Cabin and The Creel. The President's 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 insight into the Hoovers' lives and their time at Rapidan Camp, as well as President Hoover's Depression-era presidency. The camp is a National Historic Landmark. Access to Rapidan Camp involves traveling in a Park-operated van on a seven mile unpaved administrative road, so visitors must join a Ranger-guided program to travel to the site. Programs are offered Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays each week between late May and late October. A tour 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. The van ride is approximately 30 minutes each way, and the total tour time, including travel, is 2.5 hours. Tour space is limited and 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. 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 vans on those tours can accommodate a wheelchair. Visitors may book up to two wheelchair spaces through the Accessible Wheelchair ONLY Tour, which is part of the same van tour as the Historic Rapidan Camp Tour offered at the same time. Visitors may also choose to hike to Rapidan Camp without a reservation on the 4-mile round-trip Mill Prong Trail, which begins at Milam Gap (mile 52.4 on Skyline Drive). 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.