Rappahannock County

American Woodcock, © Rob Bielawski

Straddling the Piedmont and the northern reaches of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Rappahannock County hosts a range of topography not seen in most of Virginia's other counties. Characterized by a rolling landscape, it is surely one of the prettiest counties in the state. Located just 65 miles southwest from Washington, D.C., Rappahannock has managed to stop metropolitan D.C.'s western sprawl at its border via strict building requirements. As a result, the county is largely rural and is home to fewer than 8000 people. 

Rappahannock has a total area of 267 sq. mi., making it the 23rd smallest county in Virginia. Just under a square mile of that is water, almost none of which can be seen from public roadways. This makes Rappahannock especially thorny for finding waterfowl and other waterbirds. Many of the county's waterbird species come from private ponds and lakes with difficult—and sometimes no—access. The good news is that Shenandoah National Park is along the county's entire western boundary, and offers access via Skyline Drive and numerous trails to ridge-top specialties, such as warblers, thrushes, grouse, raptors, and others. There are endless options within the park for birding-based recreation. 

Named after the Rappahannock River—with the river's headwaters found in the county—Rappahannock split from Culpeper County in 1833. Like much of Virginia's Piedmont, when the first European settlers arrived, they found uncleared primary growth forest. Much of the county remains forested, though most has been replanted in the past century or so; there are also large swaths of agricultural land. Narrow roads can at times be frustrating for roadside birding, but it usually possible to find pull-offs where one can park and get out of a vehicle, if needed. The lack of traffic on most back roads makes it a little easier to bird. 

The county seat is Washington, which was surveyed and plotted by George Washington in 1749. It was established as a town in 1796, and carried our first president's name even before the nation's capital. There are several other villages in the county, including Amissville, Flint Hill, and Sperryville. The latter is a gateway to Shenandoah N.P. along US 211.

Notable bird records include a long-staying Swallow-tailed Kite that spent most of its time just across the border in Fauquier County, and another was a one-day-wonder near Woodville almost 20 years later; a pair were seen for over a week near Woodville in 2020. Also in 2020, a potential breeding colony of Red Crossbills was found along Skyline Drive. These birds were mostly in Page County, but could usually be observed in Rappahannock with a little patience. Others include Rufous Hummingbird; Painted Bunting; Eurasian Wigeon; Ross's Goose; Northern Goshawk; Golden Eagle; and American Bittern (regionally scarce). The county's specialties consist mostly of the suite of birds that can be found at elevation in Shenandoah N. P. This includes breeding species such as Winter Wren, Veery, Blue-headed Vireo, Ruffed Grouse, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Dark-eyed Junco, Chestnut-sided Warbler, and probably Canada Warbler. Typical Piedmont species at lower elevations include Grasshopper Sparrow, Blue Grosbeak, American Kestrel, and Barn Owl among others. Passage migrants such as Vesper Sparrow, Bobolink (which may nest in the county), and Lincoln's sparrow are likely to be found in the right habitat at the right time of year. 

—Todd Michael Day

Hotspots

Amenities

As rural and little-populated as the county is, there is no surprise that amenities are scarce, but don't let that fool you that they aren't noteworthy. There are several restaurants around the county, including one of the most awarded fine-dining establishments in the world: The Inn at Little Washington. As its name suggests, aside from the three Michelin-starred restaurant, there is an inn that offers luxurious accommodations. Diners from all over the world travel to eat at chef Patrick O'Connell's dining room, which celebrated forty years of satisfying the most discerning palates in 2018. As if one world-known restaurant wasn’t enough, Sperryville is home to a newer establishment named Three Blacksmiths. The tiny, sixteen-seat restaurant has been lauded by culinary critics since opening in 2018. If you’re interested in dining there, plan ahead: they do not take walk-ins, and reservations are typically booked six months in advance. Less fancy (and less expensive!) fare can be found in at restaurants in Sperryville (Rappahannock Pizza Kitchen, Headmaster’s Pub), Flint Hill (Griffin Tavern), and Washington (Tula's), among others. There are no hotels or motels in the county, but there are nearly twenty Inns and B&Bs around the county. Gas stations and convenience stores are few and far between, with only a handful of the former and a couple of the latter. 

Accessibility and surroundings

Rappahannock has no interstates that pass through it, but it is serviced by two US routes: 211 and 522. US 211 runs from Warrenton west through Rappahannock to Thornton Gap at Skyline Drive, essentially bisecting the county. US 522 runs from Culpeper north to Chester Gap, at the northern boundary just south of Front Royal, only several miles south if I-66. Both highways meander and don't run directly between cardinal points; you'll be hard pressed to find any road in the county that doesn't wander a little. 

Rappahannock is bordered by Warren County in the northwest, Fauquier in the northeast, and Culpeper lies to the south. Madison and Page make up the western neighbors, with Page's boundary being atop the ridge. There are no independent cities engulfed by Rappahannock nor its neighbors. 

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