Shenandoah National Park · Virginia

Laurel Prong Trail

2.3 mi of trail, end to end · about 900 ft of climbing · 2,650 ft–3,527 ft · earth surface · trail class Developed · hiking

2,650 ft 3,527 ft · 2.2 mi high 3,527 ft

Mill Prong - Laurel Prong Loop the Park Service's write-up

7-8 Hours · dogs allowed

Start Central District (Mile 52.8)

An historic cabin with a large porch sits in the middle of a snow-covered forest.

A circuit hike to Camp Rapidan, the rustic getaway of President Herbert Hoover and First Lady Lou Henry Hoover. Today, this restful spot features exhibits on the First Couple and their perspectives. This hike features three stream crossings, each about eight feet wide, which may be difficult to cross, depending on the amount of recent rainfall. Take your time crossing and turn around if you feel uncomfortable. If you are unable to do the hike, you can still take a virtual tour of Rapidan Camp.

Distance: 7.4-mile circuit hike

Difficulty: Moderately Strenuous (explanation of our hiking difficulty scale )

Hiking Time: 8 hours

Elevation Gain: 1,520 feet

Hike Description

From the Milam Gap parking area (mile 52.8), cross Skyline Drive and take the Appalachian Trail (A.T.) a few feet to the trailpost.

Go left onto the blue-blazed Mill Prong Trail.

Take a slight right onto the yellow-blazed Mill Prong Horse Trail and follow it to Rapidan Camp.

After exploring the camp, take the Laurel Prong Trail (an old road trace), which is yellow-blazed, for about a half mile.

Continue straight on Laurel Prong when it becomes blue-blazed and stay on it past the junction with Cat Knob Trail.

At the junction with the A.T., turn right and follow it north across Hazeltop, the third highest peak in Shenandoah.

The A.T. will take you back to your starting point Milam Gap.

Accessibility This trail does not meet ADA accessibility guidelines.

This hike on nps.gov

On the parks map

All 317 trails in Shenandoah National ParkFind a trailOn the parks mapPark on nps.gov

About this trail's facts

The lines are the National Park Service's public trails layer, the trailheads and the waterfalls, views, peaks and historic places along them the Service's public points of interest, read 2026-10-16 and simplified for the map; the length is the line's, end to end. The write-ups are the Service's own "things to do" text, unedited. Heights come from USGS 3DEP through Terrain Tiles on AWS (Mapzen/Tilezen), read along each line and rounded; a short trail on steep ground can be off by a few tens of feet. Closures change: check the park's own site before you go.