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New River (West Virginia)
Encyclopedia
The New River, part of the Ohio River watershed
, is a tributary of the Kanawha River
about 320 mi (515 km) long. The river flows through the U.S.
states of North Carolina
, Virginia
, and West Virginia
. Much of the river's course through West Virginia is designated as the New River Gorge National River
, and the New River is one of the nation's American Heritage Rivers
.
Named the New River because it was not known to early Atlantic Coast
explorers, the New River is the southernmost river in North America that flows from south to north. Despite its name, the New River is the second oldest river in the world geologically, and the only nontidal river
that crosses the Appalachian Mountains
.
This ancient river begins in the mountains of North Carolina near the Tennessee state line
, flows generally northwestward across the Blue Ridge Mountains
, Great Appalachian Valley
, Ridge and Valley Province
, and the Allegheny Front
in western Virginia and West Virginia, then cuts through the Appalachian Plateau
(in the New River Gorge) to meet the Gauley River
and become the Kanawha River
in south-central West Virginia. The Kanawha then flows to the Gulf of Mexico
via the Ohio
and Mississippi
rivers. Much of the river's course is lined with steep cliffs and rock outcrops, particularly in its gorge in West Virginia.
This low-level crossing of the Appalachians, many millions of years old, has long been a biogeograpical
corridor allowing numerous species of plants and animals to spread between the lowlands of the American East Coast
and those of the Midwest
; other unusual kinds of plants occur on the gorge's cliffs or rim-top ledges. Portions of this corridor are now also used by various railroads and highways, and some segments of the river have been dammed for hydroelectric power
production.
The New River Gorge is not only quite scenic, but also offers numerous opportunities for white-water recreation such as rafting
and kayak
ing. Many open ledges along the rim of the gorge offer popular views, with favorites including Hawks Nest State Park
and various overlooks on lands of the New River Gorge National River.
Few highways cross the gorge, with the most dramatic bridge by far being the New River Gorge Bridge
on U.S. 19
, a steel arch bridge
spanning 1700 feet (518 m), with the roadway 876 feet (267 m) above the river. This structure is the third-longest arch bridge in the world, and is also the world's fifth-highest vehicular bridge, and the second highest in the Americas.
In North Carolina, a segment of the river 26.5 miles long was designated as the "New River State Scenic River" and included in the state's Natural and Scenic Rivers System in 1975. This segment was then included in the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System in 1976.
The New River Gorge and the U.S. 19 bridge crossing it are shown on the West Virginia State Quarter, minted in 2005.
and the North Fork New River
in Ashe County, North Carolina
. It then flows north into southwestern Virginia, passing near Galax, Virginia
and through a gorge in the Iron Mountains
. Continuing north, the river enters Pulaski County, Virginia
, where it is impounded by Claytor Dam, creating Claytor Lake
. North of the dam the New River accepts the Little River and passes the city of Radford, Virginia
before passing through Walker Mountain via a narrow water gap
. After flowing north through Giles County, Virginia
and the town of Narrows
, the river crosses into West Virginia.
The New River is impounded by Bluestone Dam, creating Bluestone Lake
in Summers County, West Virginia
. The Bluestone River
tributary joins the New River in Bluestone Lake. Just below the dam the Greenbrier River
joins the New River, which continues its northward course into the New River Gorge. Near the end of the gorge the river flows by the town of Fayetteville, West Virginia
. A few miles northwest of Fayetteville, much of the New River's flow is diverted through the 3 miles (4.8 km) Hawks Nest Tunnel for use in power generation. The water re-enters the river just upstream of Gauley Bridge
, where the New merges with the Gauley River
to form the Kanawha River
. The Kanawha is a tributary of the Ohio River
, which in turn is a tributary of the Mississippi River
.
. The New River flows in a generally south-to-north course, against the southwest-to-northeast topology and geological texture of the Appalachian Mountains
, contrasting with the west-to-east flow of most other nearby major rivers in Virginia and North Carolina. This peculiar direction, together with the river's many cuts through various erosion-resistant Appalachian rocks, may mean that the New River's formation preceded uplift of the Appalachian Mountains themselves.
including bass
, trout
, walleye
, muskellunge
, crappie
, bluegill
, carp
, flathead and channel catfish
.
Batts-Fallam expedition of 1671, sent by Abraham Wood
. Variant names of the New River include "Wood's River", after Abraham Wood.
near Fayetteville, West Virginia
, which is open for BASE
jumping on Bridge Day
. It is also a very popular river for white water rafting
(class II-IV in season, IV-V during the spring run-off), and several commercial outfitters offer a variety of guided trips. Those willing to brave the colder water of spring will be rewarded with a more challenging big-water experience. Near the bridge there are over 1400 single pitch sport climbs.
, the New River has also been known as:
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
, is a tributary of the Kanawha River
Kanawha River
The Kanawha River is a tributary of the Ohio River, approximately 97 mi long, in the U.S. state of West Virginia. The largest inland waterway in West Virginia, it has formed a significant industrial region of the state since the middle of the 19th century.It is formed at the town of Gauley...
about 320 mi (515 km) long. The river flows through the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
states of North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, and West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
. Much of the river's course through West Virginia is designated as the New River Gorge National River
New River Gorge National River
The New River Gorge National River is a unit of the United States National Park Service designed to protect and maintain the New River Gorge in southern West Virginia. Established in 1978, the NPS-protected area stretches for from just downstream of Hinton to Hawks Nest State Park near Ansted.New...
, and the New River is one of the nation's American Heritage Rivers
American Heritage Rivers
American Heritage Rivers are designated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency to receive special attention to further three objectives: natural resource and environmental protection, economic revitalization, and historic and cultural preservation.The American Heritage Rivers...
.
Named the New River because it was not known to early Atlantic Coast
Atlantic Coast
The Atlantic Coast is any coast fronting the Atlantic Ocean. The term differentiates the coasts of countries or continents with coastlines on more than one body of water, such as North America, South America, Africa and Europe.-See also:*Indian Ocean...
explorers, the New River is the southernmost river in North America that flows from south to north. Despite its name, the New River is the second oldest river in the world geologically, and the only nontidal river
Tidewater
Tidewater may refer to:*Tidewater , a geographic area of southeast Virginia and northeast North Carolina*Tidewater , a company providing marine services to the offshore petroleum industry...
that crosses the Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...
.
This ancient river begins in the mountains of North Carolina near the Tennessee state line
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, flows generally northwestward across the Blue Ridge Mountains
Blue Ridge Mountains
The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. This province consists of northern and southern physiographic regions, which divide near the Roanoke River gap. The mountain range is located in the eastern United States, starting at its southern-most...
, Great Appalachian Valley
Great Appalachian Valley
The Great Valley, also called the Great Appalachian Valley or Great Valley Region, is one of the major landform features of eastern North America. It is a gigantic trough — a chain of valley lowlands — and the central feature of the Appalachian Mountain system...
, Ridge and Valley Province
Ridge-and-valley Appalachians
The Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians, also called the Ridge and Valley Province or the Valley and Ridge Appalachians, are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian division and are also a belt within the Appalachian Mountains extending from southeastern New York through northwestern New...
, and the Allegheny Front
Allegheny Front
The Allegheny Front is the major southeast- or east-facing escarpment in the Allegheny Mountains in southern Pennsylvania, western Maryland, and eastern West Virginia, USA. The Allegheny Front delineates the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians to its east from the Appalachian Plateau to its west...
in western Virginia and West Virginia, then cuts through the Appalachian Plateau
Appalachian Plateau
The Appalachian Plateau is the western part of the Appalachian mountains, stretching from New York and Alabama. The plateau is a second level United States physiographic region....
(in the New River Gorge) to meet the Gauley River
Gauley River
The Gauley River is a river in West Virginia. It merges with the New River to form the Kanawha River, a tributary of the Ohio River. It is one of the most popular advanced whitewater runs in the Eastern United States and is the chief feature of the Gauley River National Recreation Area.-Headwaters...
and become the Kanawha River
Kanawha River
The Kanawha River is a tributary of the Ohio River, approximately 97 mi long, in the U.S. state of West Virginia. The largest inland waterway in West Virginia, it has formed a significant industrial region of the state since the middle of the 19th century.It is formed at the town of Gauley...
in south-central West Virginia. The Kanawha then flows to the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
via the Ohio
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
and Mississippi
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
rivers. Much of the river's course is lined with steep cliffs and rock outcrops, particularly in its gorge in West Virginia.
This low-level crossing of the Appalachians, many millions of years old, has long been a biogeograpical
Biogeography
Biogeography is the study of the distribution of species , organisms, and ecosystems in space and through geological time. Organisms and biological communities vary in a highly regular fashion along geographic gradients of latitude, elevation, isolation and habitat area...
corridor allowing numerous species of plants and animals to spread between the lowlands of the American East Coast
Eastern United States
The Eastern United States, the American East, or simply the East is traditionally defined as the states east of the Mississippi River. The first two tiers of states west of the Mississippi have traditionally been considered part of the West, but can be included in the East today; usually in...
and those of the Midwest
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
; other unusual kinds of plants occur on the gorge's cliffs or rim-top ledges. Portions of this corridor are now also used by various railroads and highways, and some segments of the river have been dammed for hydroelectric power
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
production.
The New River Gorge is not only quite scenic, but also offers numerous opportunities for white-water recreation such as rafting
Rafting
Rafting or white water rafting is a challenging recreational outdoor activity using an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other bodies of water. This is usually done on white water or different degrees of rough water, in order to thrill and excite the raft passengers. The development of this...
and kayak
Kayak
A kayak is a small, relatively narrow, human-powered boat primarily designed to be manually propelled by means of a double blade paddle.The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each seating one paddler...
ing. Many open ledges along the rim of the gorge offer popular views, with favorites including Hawks Nest State Park
Hawks Nest State Park
Hawks Nest State Park is located on in Fayette County near Ansted, West Virginia. The park's clifftop overlook along U.S. Route 60 provides a scenic vista of the New River, some 750 feet below. The hydro-electric project tunnel that passes underneath nearby Gauley Mountain was the scene of the...
and various overlooks on lands of the New River Gorge National River.
New River Gorge Bridge
The New River Gorge Bridge is a steel arch bridge long over the New River Gorge near Fayetteville, West Virginia, in the Appalachian Mountains of the eastern United States. With an arch long, the New River Gorge Bridge was for many years the world's longest arch bridge; it is now the third...
on U.S. 19
U.S. Route 19
U.S. Route 19 is a north–south U.S. Highway. Despite encroaching Interstate Highways, the route has remained a long-haul route, connecting the Gulf of Mexico with Lake Erie....
, a steel arch bridge
Arch bridge
An arch bridge is a bridge with abutments at each end shaped as a curved arch. Arch bridges work by transferring the weight of the bridge and its loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either side...
spanning 1700 feet (518 m), with the roadway 876 feet (267 m) above the river. This structure is the third-longest arch bridge in the world, and is also the world's fifth-highest vehicular bridge, and the second highest in the Americas.
In North Carolina, a segment of the river 26.5 miles long was designated as the "New River State Scenic River" and included in the state's Natural and Scenic Rivers System in 1975. This segment was then included in the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System in 1976.
The New River Gorge and the U.S. 19 bridge crossing it are shown on the West Virginia State Quarter, minted in 2005.
Course
The New River is formed by the confluence of the South Fork New RiverSouth Fork New River
The South Fork New River is a river in the U.S. state of North Carolina.It stretches from its headwaters at a spring near Blowing Rock and the Eastern Continental Divide and meanders northward along the northwestern face of the Blue Ridge Mountains through the eastern and central portions of...
and the North Fork New River
North Fork New River
The North Fork New River is a river in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It rises in Northern Watauga County, and flows northeast to Ashe County where it joins with the South Fork New River to form the New River....
in Ashe County, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. It then flows north into southwestern Virginia, passing near Galax, Virginia
Galax, Virginia
Galax is an independent city in the southwestern part of the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is bounded to the northeast by Carroll County and to the southwest by Grayson County. The population was 7,042 as of 2010...
and through a gorge in the Iron Mountains
Iron Mountains
The Iron Mountains are a minor range of the Appalachian Mountains. These mountains are located around the common meeting point of Tennessee, Virginia, and North Carolina...
. Continuing north, the river enters Pulaski County, Virginia
Pulaski County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 35,127 people, 14,643 households, and 10,147 families residing in the county. The population density was 110 people per square mile . There were 16,325 housing units at an average density of 51 per square mile...
, where it is impounded by Claytor Dam, creating Claytor Lake
Claytor Lake
Claytor Lake in Pulaski County, Virginia, is a 4,500 acre , 21 mile long reservoir on the New River created for a hydroelectric project of Appalachian Power Company. It is named for W...
. North of the dam the New River accepts the Little River and passes the city of Radford, Virginia
Radford, Virginia
Radford is a city in Virginia, United States. The population was 16,408 in 2010. For statistical purposes, the Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Radford with neighboring Montgomery County, including the towns of Blacksburg and Christiansburg, calling the combination the...
before passing through Walker Mountain via a narrow water gap
Water gap
A water gap is an opening or notch which flowing water has carved through a mountain range. Water gaps often offer a practical route for road and rail transport to cross mountain ridges.- Geology :...
. After flowing north through Giles County, Virginia
Giles County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 16,657 people, 6,994 households, and 4,888 families residing in the county. The population density was 47 people per square mile . There were 7,732 housing units at an average density of 22 per square mile...
and the town of Narrows
Narrows, Virginia
Narrows, named for the narrowing of the New River that flows past it, is a town in Giles County, Virginia, United States. The population was 2,111 at the 2000 census...
, the river crosses into West Virginia.
The New River is impounded by Bluestone Dam, creating Bluestone Lake
Bluestone Lake
Bluestone Lake is a flood control reservoir located on the New River near Hinton, West Virginia. At its normal pool level, Bluestone Dam impounds a stretch of the New and its tributary, the Bluestone River. Normally approximately in size, the lake can grow to over long at flood control pool...
in Summers County, West Virginia
Summers County, West Virginia
Summers County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 13,927. Its county seat is Hinton. Summers County was created by an act of the West Virginia General Assembly on February 27, 1871 from parts of Fayette, Greenbrier, Mercer and Monroe...
. The Bluestone River
Bluestone River
The Bluestone River is a tributary of the New River, 77 mi long, in southwestern Virginia and southern West Virginia in the United States. Via the New, Kanawha and Ohio Rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River...
tributary joins the New River in Bluestone Lake. Just below the dam the Greenbrier River
Greenbrier River
The Greenbrier River is a tributary of the New River, long, in southeastern West Virginia, USA. Via the New, Kanawha and Ohio Rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of...
joins the New River, which continues its northward course into the New River Gorge. Near the end of the gorge the river flows by the town of Fayetteville, West Virginia
Fayetteville, West Virginia
Fayetteville is a town in and the county seat of Fayette County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 2,754 at the 2000 census.Fayetteville was listed as one of the 2006 "Top 10 Coolest Small Towns in America" by Budget Travel Magazine ....
. A few miles northwest of Fayetteville, much of the New River's flow is diverted through the 3 miles (4.8 km) Hawks Nest Tunnel for use in power generation. The water re-enters the river just upstream of Gauley Bridge
Gauley Bridge, West Virginia
Gauley Bridge is a town in Fayette County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 738 at the 2000 census. The Kanawha River is formed at Gauley Bridge by the confluence of the New and Gauley Rivers...
, where the New merges with the Gauley River
Gauley River
The Gauley River is a river in West Virginia. It merges with the New River to form the Kanawha River, a tributary of the Ohio River. It is one of the most popular advanced whitewater runs in the Eastern United States and is the chief feature of the Gauley River National Recreation Area.-Headwaters...
to form the Kanawha River
Kanawha River
The Kanawha River is a tributary of the Ohio River, approximately 97 mi long, in the U.S. state of West Virginia. The largest inland waterway in West Virginia, it has formed a significant industrial region of the state since the middle of the 19th century.It is formed at the town of Gauley...
. The Kanawha is a tributary of the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
, which in turn is a tributary of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
.
Geology
Despite its name, the New River is considered by some geologists to be one of the oldest rivers in the world, between 250 million and 360 million years old. The river is sometimes said to be second in age only to the Nile River and thus the oldest in North AmericaNorth America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. The New River flows in a generally south-to-north course, against the southwest-to-northeast topology and geological texture of the Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...
, contrasting with the west-to-east flow of most other nearby major rivers in Virginia and North Carolina. This peculiar direction, together with the river's many cuts through various erosion-resistant Appalachian rocks, may mean that the New River's formation preceded uplift of the Appalachian Mountains themselves.
Natural history
The New River is home to many species of freshwater game fishGame fish
Game fish are fish pursued for sport by recreational anglers. They can be freshwater or marine fish. Game fish can be eaten after being caught, though increasingly anglers practise catch and release to improve fish populations. Some game fish are also targeted commercially, particularly...
including bass
Bass (fish)
Bass is a name shared by many different species of popular gamefish. The term encompasses both freshwater and marine species. All belong to the large order Perciformes, or perch-like fishes, and in fact the word bass comes from Middle English bars, meaning "perch."-Types of basses:*The temperate...
, trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
, walleye
Walleye
Walleye is a freshwater perciform fish native to most of Canada and to the northern United States. It is a North American close relative of the European pikeperch...
, muskellunge
Muskellunge
A muskellunge , also known as a muskelunge, muscallonge, milliganong, or maskinonge , is a large, relatively uncommon freshwater fish of North America. Muskellunge are the largest member of the pike family, Esocidae...
, crappie
Crappie
Crappie is a genus of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of order Perciformes. The type species is P. annularis, the white crappie...
, bluegill
Bluegill
The Bluegill is a species of freshwater fish sometimes referred to as bream, brim, or copper nose. It is a member of the sunfish family Centrarchidae of the order Perciformes.-Range and distribution:...
, carp
Carp
Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. The cypriniformes are traditionally grouped with the Characiformes, Siluriformes and Gymnotiformes to create the superorder Ostariophysi, since these groups have certain...
, flathead and channel catfish
Catfish
Catfishes are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the heaviest and longest, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia and the second longest, the wels catfish of Eurasia, to detritivores...
.
History
The first recorded European exploration of the New River was the fur tradingFur trade
The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of world market for in the early modern period furs of boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals have been the most valued...
Batts-Fallam expedition of 1671, sent by Abraham Wood
Abraham Wood
Abraham Wood , sometimes referred to as "General" or "Colonel" Wood, was an English fur trader and explorer of 17th century colonial Virginia...
. Variant names of the New River include "Wood's River", after Abraham Wood.
Recreation
The New River is spanned by the New River Gorge BridgeNew River Gorge Bridge
The New River Gorge Bridge is a steel arch bridge long over the New River Gorge near Fayetteville, West Virginia, in the Appalachian Mountains of the eastern United States. With an arch long, the New River Gorge Bridge was for many years the world's longest arch bridge; it is now the third...
near Fayetteville, West Virginia
Fayetteville, West Virginia
Fayetteville is a town in and the county seat of Fayette County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 2,754 at the 2000 census.Fayetteville was listed as one of the 2006 "Top 10 Coolest Small Towns in America" by Budget Travel Magazine ....
, which is open for BASE
BASE jumping
BASE jumping, also sometimes written as B.A.S.E jumping, is an activity that employs an initially packed parachute to jump from fixed objects...
jumping on Bridge Day
Bridge Day
Bridge Day is an annual one-day festival in Fayetteville, West Virginia, sponsored by the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce. The event, held on the third Saturday every October, commemorates the 1977 completion of the New River Gorge Bridge. On this day, all four lanes of the bridge are closed to...
. It is also a very popular river for white water rafting
Rafting
Rafting or white water rafting is a challenging recreational outdoor activity using an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other bodies of water. This is usually done on white water or different degrees of rough water, in order to thrill and excite the raft passengers. The development of this...
(class II-IV in season, IV-V during the spring run-off), and several commercial outfitters offer a variety of guided trips. Those willing to brave the colder water of spring will be rewarded with a more challenging big-water experience. Near the bridge there are over 1400 single pitch sport climbs.
Parks, forests and trails along the New River
Listed from upstream to downstream:- Pisgah National ForestPisgah National ForestPisgah National Forest is a National Forest in the Appalachian Mountains of western North Carolina. It is administered by the United States Forest Service, part of the United States Department of Agriculture. The Pisgah National Forest is completely contained within the state of North Carolina...
(on the South ForkSouth Fork New RiverThe South Fork New River is a river in the U.S. state of North Carolina.It stretches from its headwaters at a spring near Blowing Rock and the Eastern Continental Divide and meanders northward along the northwestern face of the Blue Ridge Mountains through the eastern and central portions of...
) - New River State Park, North CarolinaNew River State ParkNew River State Park is a North Carolina state park in Ashe County, North Carolina in the United States. Located near Jefferson, North Carolina, it covers over 2,200 acres in the protected New River watershed. The New River is, ironically, one of the oldest rivers in the United States...
- New River Trail State Park, VirginiaNew River Trail State ParkNew River Trail State Park is a state park located in southern Virginia, United States. It parallels of the New River along an old railroad right-of-way, and is a designated National Recreation Trail....
- Shot Tower Historical State Park, VirginiaShot Tower Historical State ParkShot Tower Historical State Park is a state park located near the town of Austinville, Virginia. Its centerpiece is the Jackson Ferry Shot Tower, located along the New River, which was for many years used for the creation of ammunition. The tower is listed on the National Register of Historic...
- Claytor Lake State Park, VirginiaClaytor Lake State ParkClaytor Lake State Park in Pulaski County, Virginia is located on Claytor Lake, a 4,500 acre , 21 mile long artificial lake on the New River created for a hydroelectric project of the Appalachian Power Company. It is named for W...
- Jefferson National Forest
- Appalachian National Scenic Trail
- Bluestone Wildlife Management Area
- Bluestone State Park, West VirginiaBluestone State ParkBluestone State Park is a state park in Summers County, West Virginia. The park is located along the western shores of Bluestone Lake, an impoundment of the New River built and managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers...
- New River Gorge National RiverNew River Gorge National RiverThe New River Gorge National River is a unit of the United States National Park Service designed to protect and maintain the New River Gorge in southern West Virginia. Established in 1978, the NPS-protected area stretches for from just downstream of Hinton to Hawks Nest State Park near Ansted.New...
- Grandview overlook (formerly Grandview State Park)
- Babcock State Park, West VirginiaBabcock State ParkBabcock State Park is a state park located along the New River Gorge on wooded in Fayette County, West Virginia. Located near the park headquarters, the Glade Creek Grist Mill is among the most photographed tourist sites in the state of West Virginia. It was named in honor of Edward V...
- Hawks Nest State Park, West VirginiaHawks Nest State ParkHawks Nest State Park is located on in Fayette County near Ansted, West Virginia. The park's clifftop overlook along U.S. Route 60 provides a scenic vista of the New River, some 750 feet below. The hydro-electric project tunnel that passes underneath nearby Gauley Mountain was the scene of the...
Variant names
According to the Geographic Names Information SystemGeographic Names Information System
The Geographic Names Information System is a database that contains name and locative information about more than two million physical and cultural features located throughout the United States of America and its territories. It is a type of gazetteer...
, the New River has also been known as:
- Conhaway River
- Great Konhaway River
- Kanawha RiverKanawha RiverThe Kanawha River is a tributary of the Ohio River, approximately 97 mi long, in the U.S. state of West Virginia. The largest inland waterway in West Virginia, it has formed a significant industrial region of the state since the middle of the 19th century.It is formed at the town of Gauley...
- Kunhaway River
- Mon-don-ga-cha-te
- Wood River
- Wood's River
- Woods River
See also
- New River Gorge National RiverNew River Gorge National RiverThe New River Gorge National River is a unit of the United States National Park Service designed to protect and maintain the New River Gorge in southern West Virginia. Established in 1978, the NPS-protected area stretches for from just downstream of Hinton to Hawks Nest State Park near Ansted.New...
- List of North Carolina rivers
- List of Virginia rivers
- List of West Virginia rivers
External links
- New River Watershed Roundtable
- Friends of the New River
- New River whitewater rafting outfitters
- National Committee for the New River
- New River State Park, North Carolina
- Geology of the New River Gorge in WV
- Little Beaver State Park, West Virginia
- Fries VA - Where the New River Trail Begins
- West Virginia Rivers Coalition
- Woodard, Robert Seth (2006). "The Appalachian Power Company and the New River" Master's thesis. Department of History, Virginia Tech.