The Rapidan River is one of my favorite rivers in Virginia, especially the segment which courses through Shenandoah National Park. The flowing cascades, peaceful scenery and good population of brook trout has earned this river a top 100 trout stream spot according to Trout Unlimited coming in at #38.

The Rapidan plays a significant role in history as well. Originally named the Rapid Anne river after Queen Anne of England it has since changed it’s name to “Rapidan”, a combination of the words “rapids” and “Anne”. The river was also the site of numerous, bloody, civil war battles. After the war, it’s beauty continued to attract visitors from all over. It even caught the eye of one of the US Presidents. During the Hoover administration (1929-1933), Camp Hoover was built by President Herbert Hoover and his wife Lou Henry Hoover to serve as their wilderness getaway, where they fished these pristine waters. The camp still stands today, although officially named Rapidan Camp now and open to the public, situated at the beginnings of the Rapidan River.

peace

stream hopping

lunch

home of the brookies

I was glad that at 15 years old, our Jack Russell Terrier was able to join us on this trip. He thoroughly enjoyed himself although he did not swim much as the current was fast flowing and the waters frigid. We leisurely climbed from stream to stream casting our flies. Before we knew it, the sun was setting and we had been out for over seven hours. Although we caught nothing (no surprise), we had several bites and I got my brother hooked on the sport. He just told me the other day, he was looking for a rod.

Casting

trout stream

cascades

While we have fished all of our lives, Tenkara is a whole new ball game. It is a form of traditional Japanese fly fishing without the use of a reel. This allows everything to be packed nicely into my backpack without the need for tackle box or much gear. Essentially it is just rod, line and fly. The rod itself collapses to just over 20 inches. I found Tenkara to be a much more active form of fishing which I thoroughly enjoy. First off, your main target is trout, and here in Virginia, they are found only in the coldest and cleanest mountain waters. A hike of some sort is almost always needed. Secondly, while you’re fishing, you’re constantly casting and moving from one spot on the stream to another. The only thing about this time of year is that it is tick season! I pulled one off myself and a couple off of our dog. Nasty little buggers that on rare occasions can serve as a vector for transmitting Lyme Disease. I always try to be good with tick checks before getting back in the car. Spraying your shoes and lower legs with bug spray will definitely help as well. Ticks are typically found south of the Canada-US border although of late, climate change has changed that, with reports of tick bites becoming more and more common in Ontario.

The morning air is crisp, and the leaves are beginning their color change, the first day of autumn is officially here. Min and I set out to our familiar backyard, Shenandoah National Park. Instead of scaling the mountains and searching for high altitude vistas. We sought out watering holes, cascades and native brook trout that lived in these crystal clear, mountain streams.

Our trip took us past Madison, VA close to Old Rag Mountain, however this time through the Weakly Hollow Road. From there we parked our cars, and headed to the intersection between Cedar Run and White Oak Canyon trail. Instead of going the traditional route straight up White Oak Canyon, I’ve found out from many reviewers of this hike, that the best way to go, is up the Cedar Run trail. It eventually connects with a fire road to close the loop with a descent down the White Oak Canyon Trail. The total circuit would be 8 miles. I definitely recommend this method of approaching the trail for anyone thinking of doing this hike, the climb up Cedar Run is gradual as opposed to the vertical climb up White Oak Canyon. This route also allows you to descend down the fire road instead of climbing it where there really is not much to see.

It was a perfect day for a hike, a cool 65 degrees F in the morning and sunny. The water level was relatively low and some of the of the creek beds were completely dry. Nonetheless, there was still plenty of water to enjoy the beautiful falls. We saw plenty of brook trout in the these streams as well.

Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) are part of the Salmonidae family and more specifically, a type of char. Other members of this group include arctic char and lake trout. As such, brook trout require water temperatures less than 20 degrees celsius to flourish due to the higher oxygen content. In the mountains, the native fish live relatively short spans of about 3 years, although some may live up to 6 years. Typically, brookies found in the streams grow to around 6-12 inches, larger sizes can be reached if they make it to a lake where food is abundant. They spawn during mid to late fall. Brook trout are amazing fish. I am always in awe at how they are able to survive in such low waters and through times of drought and flooding. Year and year again, they return and swim in the streams of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

The loop took us a solid 5 hours with a swimming break in a pool in a small canyon. The water was absolutely freezing but we knew that this was probably the last chance we would have this year before it gets too cold. As cold as it was, the water felt amazing, to swim with the brookies was also an awesome experience. Some of the watering holes even have natural water slides to enjoy during the hotter months.

small waterfall

streams

a deep pool along cedar run trail

acorn

rock cliff

cascades

cairn

Overall, an enjoyable hike and highly recommended as a place to cool off in the summers. If I were to return, it would be in the spring or early summer months with higher water levels and with my tenkara rod in hand.

Watch a video of the falls above