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.