Rapidan
1. Shenandoah National Park to Route 29(Upper Rapidan)
| Difficulty | II-IV |
| Length | 15.7 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 20 fpm |
| Gauge | Rapidan River Near Culpeper, Va |
| Flow Rate as of 1 hour | 0.74 ftbelow recommended |
| Reach Info Last Updated | April 12, 2025 |
River Description
The Upper Rapidan and its nearby sibling the Conway are Class III whitewater runs that start at the Shenandoah National Park boundary. Both rivers suffered extensive damage in the 1995 flood and were essentially 'rebuilt', which means they were cleared of debris and a new cobbled river bed was created for them. Due to the gradient in the upper sections of these rivers, this makes for a pretty exciting first section.
The river overall has a variety of hazards, including fences, cattle gates and low water bridges.
To run the best 8 miles, use the alternate takeout at Rt. 230. Below this, the river calms down to a Class II. There is a dangerous low head dam right above Rt. 29 that should be portaged left.
See Also:
Classic Virginia Rivers, Ed Grove (1992 ed), p. 62.
Virginia Whitewater, Roger Corbett (2000 ed.), p. 166.
Exploring Virginia's Waterways, Ed Gertler (2022 ed.), p. 125.
River Features
Put In
Take Out
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportEd Evangelidi testifies:
This creek is easier than the Conway to pick and choose whether you want a Cl 2 or 3 or 4 trip, as the rapids are fairly stratified with the steeper sections upstream having harder rapids. The Conway mixes up the level of rapids more and has more dangerous low-water bridges in the upper sections.