Rapidan Camp
President Hoover's mountain summer camp, regarded as the forerunner of Camp David. The president's cabin and its furnishings are preserved.
Rapidan Camp was the retreat of the 31st U.S. president, Herbert Hoover, from 1929 to 1933. It was later designated a National Historic Landmark. The restored “President's Cabin” and “Prime Minister's Cabin” display the furnishings and photographs of that era. From Milam Gap (Mile 52.8), a round-trip hike of about 6.4 km reaches the camp. In summer and autumn, the park runs reservation-only shuttle tours from the Harry F. Byrd Visitor Center.
The camp sits where two tributaries of the Rapidan River meet, and the sound of the stream through the trees is peaceful.
Opening hours
Open all day; cabin access limited to certain seasons
Nearby sights
- Dark Hollow Falls
- Big Meadows
- Rose River Falls
- Bearfence Mountain
- Hawksbill Mountain
- Whiteoak Canyon
- Skyland
- Stony Man