The Rapidan River, flowing U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data
The National Map
accessed April 1, 2011 through north-central

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

in the United States, is the largest

tributary A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainage ...

of the

Rappahannock River The Rappahannock River is a river in eastern Virginia, in the United States, approximately in length.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 It traverses the entir ...

. The two rivers converge just west of the city of Fredericksburg. The Rapidan River begins west of Doubletop Mountain in

Shenandoah National Park Shenandoah National Park (often ) is an American national park that encompasses part of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The park is long and narrow, with the Shenandoah River and its broad valley to the west, and the ...

where the Mill Prong meets the Laurel Prong at

Rapidan Camp Rapidan Camp (also known at times as Camp Hoover) in Shenandoah National Park in Madison County, Virginia, was built by U.S. President Herbert Hoover and his wife Lou Henry Hoover, and served as their rustic retreat throughout Hoover's administ ...

, approximately south of

Big Meadows Big Meadows is a recreational area of the Shenandoah National Park in Madison County and Page County, in the US state of Virginia. The meadow is located on the Skyline Drive at Milepost 51 and contains the park's Harry F. Byrd Visitor Center, a ...

. The river defines the border of

Orange County Orange County most commonly refers to: *Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area Orange County may also refer to: U.S. counties *Orange County, Florida, containing Orlando *Orange County, Indiana *Orange County, New ...

with Culpeper and

Madison Madison may refer to: People * Madison (name), a given name and a surname * James Madison (1751–1836), fourth president of the United States Place names * Madison, Wisconsin, the state capital of Wisconsin and the largest city known by this ...

Counties. Sections of the lower Rapidan River are preserved by a conservation easement. The Rapidan River was the scene of severe fighting in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, and historic sites such as Ely's Ford, Chancellorsville, Brandy Station, Kelly's Ford, and the

Battle of the Wilderness The Battle of the Wilderness was fought on May 5–7, 1864, during the American Civil War. It was the first battle of Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against General Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Arm ...

are nearby. The name is a combination of the word "rapids" with the name of Queen Anne of

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. Originally, it was known as the Rapid Ann River. The Rapidan River ranks #38 in ''

Trout Unlimited Trout Unlimited (TU) is a US non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of freshwater streams, rivers, and associated upland habitats for trout, salmon, other aquatic species, and people. It is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. Th ...

's Guide to America's 100 Best Trout Streams''. In 2000, the upper Rapidan River was nominated for EPA designation as a Tier III Exceptional Waterway. In 2001, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality rejected the application, citing uncertainty about the impact of the designation. File:Germanna Ford.jpg, Germanna Ford, Rapidan River

Trails

* Mill Prong Trail to Rapidan, - Enjoyable hike to Rapidan Camp. The trail starts high in the

Blue Ridge Mountains The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. The mountain range is located in the Eastern United States, and extends 550 miles southwest from southern Pennsylvania through Maryland, West Virgin ...

(3,200 ft) on

Skyline Drive Skyline Drive is a National Parkway that runs the entire length of the National Park Service's Shenandoah National Park in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, generally along the ridge of the mountains. The drive's northern terminus is a ...

, goes southeast to the headwaters of the Rapidan River and returns to the point of origin. ''Note: This trail will not take you to the

Rapidan Canal of the Rappahannock Navigation Rapidan may refer to: Minnesota *Rapidan Township, Blue Earth County, Minnesota **Rapidan, Minnesota ** Rapidan Dam, a concrete gravity dam on the Blue Earth River Virginia *Rapidan, Virginia *Rapidan Camp, President Hoover's retreat *Rapidan Riv ...

.'' * Shenandoah National Park - Rapidan Loop, - The trail starts high in the

(3,200 ft) on

and loops, following the Mill Prong and Laurel Prong and includes the confluence of the two prongs. The Rapidan River is formed at the confluence. ''Note: This trail will not take you to the

.''

References

External links

{{authority control Rivers of Virginia Shenandoah National Park Rivers of Madison County, Virginia Tributaries of the Rappahannock River

Trails

See also

References

External links