Rapidan Wildlife Management Area
Rapidan Wildlife Management Area is a protected area located in Madison and Greene Counties, Virginia. It is composed of eight separate tracts of land, 10,326 acres (41.79 km2) in all, along the eastern slope of the Blue Ridge Mountains; four of these adjoin Shenandoah National Park, and combined share some 25 miles (40 km) of boundary. Elevations within the area range from 1400 to 3,840 feet (1,170 m) above sea level. Three major waterways, the Rapidan, Conway, and South Rivers, cross the property. Much of the area was forested before its takeover by the state, although timber harvesting took place frequently. Most of the woods are hardwood, dominated by chestnut oak and tulip poplar; populations of sugar maple and yellow and black birch may be found in some of the higher and deeper areas. Some evidence remains of human habitation - old home sites, cemeteries, and rock piles - may still be found in the area. Some of the older timber nearly died from gypsy moth infestation before being salvaged in the late 1980s.