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Submission
A free back country camping permit is required: https://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/bc-permit.htm
Shenandoah National Park has 196,000+ acres of backcountry and wilderness and over 500 miles of trails to explore. Backcountry camping is, by its very nature, a primitive experience that allows you to immerse yourself in the beauty and challenge of Shenandoah's wild side. Before you head out on your trip, however, be sure that you understand all of the information below so that you'll be prepared to safely discover a brand new world beyond the pavement!
Each year thousands of people spend a night or more in the Shenandoah’s backcountry. While visitors seek the backcountry for isolation, the cumulative actions of everyone in these areas can have dire effects on the resources we seek to enjoy. We can mitigate these effects by following Leave No Trace principles, as well as observing park backcountry regulations. The following regulations exist to keep Shenandoah's wilderness wild and untrammeled for you and for future generations of hikers and campers.
Really beautiful, 2h round trip, slightly sloped. It’s a good idea to bring some food to eat at the Hoover camp site. You walk through the forest all the time and cross a river 3 times very easily. Really worthy!
Beautiful trail. It's not overly long and you can turn back at any time. We saw a beautiful creek with a small but wonderful waterfall. We ended at a small lodge over a bridge then turned around to enjoy it all over again
Lots of great opportunities for photography along the mountain streams. Winter can be difficult to get a good shot, as not much undergrown is evergreen, and the trees all lose foliage. The best opportunity for a picture would be when there is ice or snow. Spring and summer sees great opportunities, with thick canopy and undergrown. Stream shots will require you to wade into the water due to this foliage. Autumn is spectacular, with really nice colors in good years.
Beautiful trail for any hiker at any age!! Took this trail to hike down to the Rapidan river and the scenery and cool freah air was fantastic. This was my first time hiking in the Shenandoah mtns and i was blessed by both the beauty of the forest and the wonderful speckled brook trout in the picturesque pools of the streams that flow through these mountains. Mill Prong Trail will eventually end at Camp Hoover which was President Hoover's presidential retreat and is now a historical landmark. Camp Hoover is now occupied by National Park Service volunteers who provide guided tours through the grounds and remaining buildings. The guides are very knowledgeable and friendly, the tour was an unexpected delight as I fished the pools along the Rapidan River and Mill Prong Trail.
Planning;
You should plan for 4-5 hours to complete the trail down and back to Camp Hoover if you have kids and shorter if you're older and more experienced. You can wear shorts but bring bug spray and wear comfortable shoes. I wore a pair of Keen sandals since i was fishing and was very comfortable.
If you're looking for a longer hike or interested in fishing you can continue down the fire road that parallels Rapidan river. Fishing this river is rewarding and fun, the fish are frisky and range from 6"-12". There are connecting horse trails that lead to Big Meadow a mile north but be wary of the switch backs that add distance to your hike.
About us; we're an enlisted military family with two kids (11 & 4y/o) who travels in search of adventure. We hail from the East Coast in MA (myself) and the west coast in CA (my wife). We have lived in CA, FL, VA, MA and have been across country over half a dozen times. We love camping, fishing, beach days and hiking.
