New River ( Kanawha River ) - wikipedia New River ( Kanawha River ) New River The New River within the New River Gorge as viewed from Hawks Nest State Park in West Virginia Country United States States North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia Counties Ashe NC, Alleghany NC, Watauga NC, Grayson VA, Carroll VA, Wythe VA, Pulaski VA, Montgomery VA, Giles VA, Mercer WV, Summers WV, Raleigh WV, Fayette WV Tributaries - left Bluestone River, East River - right Little River, Indian Creek, Greenbrier River Source South Fork New River - location Boone, NC - elevation 3,104 ft ( 946 m ) - coordinates 36 ° 12 ′ 16 '' N 81 ° 38 ′ 59 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 36.20444 ° N 81.64972 ° W ﻿ / 36.20444 ; - 81.64972 Secondary source North Fork New River - location Elk Knob, Watauga County, NC - elevation 4,446 ft ( 1,355 m ) - coordinates 36 ° 19 ′ 59 '' N 81 ° 41 ′ 04 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 36.33306 ° N 81.68444 ° W ﻿ / 36.33306 ; - 81.68444 Source confluence - location Ashe County, NC - elevation 2,546 ft ( 776 m ) - coordinates 36 ° 32 ′ 45 '' N 81 ° 21 ′ 09 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 36.54583 ° N 81.35250 ° W ﻿ / 36.54583 ; - 81.35250 Mouth Kanawha River - location Gauley Bridge, WV - elevation 653 ft ( 199 m ) - coordinates 38 ° 09 ′ 42 '' N 81 ° 11 ′ 47 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 38.16167 ° N 81.19639 ° W ﻿ / 38.16167 ; - 81.19639 Coordinates : 38 ° 09 ′ 42 '' N 81 ° 11 ′ 47 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 38.16167 ° N 81.19639 ° W ﻿ / 38.16167 ; - 81.19639 Length 320 mi ( 515 km ) Discharge for Thurmond, WV, max and min at Glen Lyn, VA - average 8,730 cu ft / s ( 247 m / s ) - max 226,000 cu ft / s ( 6,400 m / s ) - min 538 cu ft / s ( 15 m / s ) Map of the Kanawha River watershed, with the New River and its watershed highlighted. The New River, part of the Ohio River watershed, is about 360 mi ( 515 km ) long. The river flows through the U.S. states of North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia before joining with the Gauley River to form the Kanawha River at the town of Gauley Bridge, WV. 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. In 1975, North Carolina designated a 26.5 - mile ( 42.6 km ) segment of the river as `` New River State Scenic River '', by including it in the state 's Natural and Scenic Rivers System. The segment was added to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System the following year. The origins of the name are unclear. Possibilities include being a new river that was not on the Fry - Jefferson map of Virginia, an Indian name meaning `` new waters '', or the surname of an early settler. Despite its name, the New River is one of the five oldest rivers in the world geologically. This ancient river begins in the mountains of North Carolina near the Tennessee state line, flows generally northeastward across the Blue Ridge Mountains, Great Appalachian Valley, Ridge and Valley Province, and the Allegheny Front in western North Carolina and Virginia, before turning and following a more northwestward course into West Virginia, where it 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 into the Ohio River at Point Pleasant, WV. 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 biogeographical 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 kayaking. 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. The New River Gorge Bridge on U.S. 19 in West Virginia. 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 1,700 feet ( 518 m ), with the roadway 876 feet ( 267 m ) above the average level of the river. This structure is the third - longest single - arch bridge in the world, and is also the world 's twelfth - highest vehicular bridge, and the fourth highest in the Americas. The New River Gorge and the U.S. 19 bridge crossing it are shown on the West Virginia State Quarter, minted in 2005. Contents 1 Course 2 Geology 3 Natural history 4 History 5 Recreation 6 Parks, forests, and trails along the New River 7 Variant names 8 See also 9 References 10 External links Course The New River is formed by the confluence of the South Fork New River 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 - mile ( 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. Geology Despite its name, the New River is considered by some geologists to be one of the oldest rivers in the world. The New River flows in a generally south - to - north course, at times cutting across the southwest - to - northeast - trending ridges and geological texture of the Appalachian Mountains, contrasting with the west - to - east flow of most other major rivers to the east and northeast in Virginia and North Carolina. This peculiar direction, together with the river 's many cuts through various erosion - resistant Appalachian rocks, reveal 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 fish including bass, trout, walleye, muskellunge, crappie, bluegill, carp, flathead and channel catfish. The New River basin also has seven endemic species of fish, which are the : Appalachia darter, Bigmouth chub, Bluestone sculpin, Candy darter, Kanawha darter, Kanawha minnow, and New River shiner. History The first recorded European exploration of the New River was the fur trading Batts - Fallam expedition of 1671, sent by Abraham Wood. Variant names of the New River include `` Wood 's River '', after Abraham Wood. Mary Draper Ingles traversed the gorge during her 1755 escape from captivity among the Shawnees. The gorge also has an extensive industrial history, dominated by coal mining, logging and railroads. Recreation The New River is spanned by the New River Gorge Bridge 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 and trails suitable for hiking and mountain biking. In the New River Gorge, the river has three distinct sections that are rafted. The Upper New River runs from Sandstone to the mouth of Glade Creek. This is the calmest part of the New River Gorge and this is an area of the river often rafted by fishermen. There are some class II ( 2 ) rapids but no bigger rapids. The Middle New river runs from Glade Creek to Cunard. This is a great family friendly part of the river with mainly class II rapids but a few class III ( 3 ) rapids are sprinkled in including Grassy Shoals Rapid just after Glade Creek and Quinnamont Rapid named for it 's location by the old town of Quinnamont. Further down the river is The Ledges rapid and Silo rapid. these are just prior to Dun Glen and Thurmond. Also there is Suprise rapid a little ways before the take out at Cunard. Once you pass Cunard you are in the true Lower New River. This is where the big rapids await. There are multiple named class III to V rapids and more maps available that show the lower new rapids. Only experienced rafters or kayakers should attempt the Lower New River without a guide. But there are many commercial trips where the novice can gain experience and enjoy the rapids under the supervision of a qualified guide. The New River Gorge and Bridge near Fayetteville, West Virginia Parks, forests, and trails along the New River New River in Montgomery Co., Virginia Listed from upstream to downstream : Pisgah National Forest ( on the South Fork ) New River State Park, North Carolina New River Trail State Park, Virginia Shot Tower Historical State Park, Virginia Claytor Lake State Park, Virginia Jefferson National Forest Appalachian National Scenic Trail Bluestone Wildlife Management Area Bluestone State Park, West Virginia New River Gorge National River Babcock State Park, West Virginia Hawks Nest State Park, West Virginia Variant names According to the Geographic Names Information System, the New River has also been known as : Conhaway River Great Konhaway River Kanawha River Kunhaway River Mon - don - ga - cha - te Wood River Wood 's River Woods River The New River in the New River Gorge. See also New River Gorge National River List of North Carolina rivers List of Virginia rivers List of West Virginia rivers References Jump up ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System : South Fork New River Jump up ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System : North Fork New River Jump up ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System : New River Jump up ^ `` accessed 2011 - 06 - 16 '' ( PDF ). Retrieved 2013 - 09 - 14. Jump up ^ `` accessed 2011 - 06 - 16 '' ( PDF ). Retrieved 2013 - 09 - 14. Jump up ^ United States Geological Survey ; USGS 03176500 NEW RIVER AT GLEN LYN, VA ; retrieved April 19, 2008. Jump up ^ `` Size of the North Carolina State Parks System '' ( PDF ). North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation. January 1, 2011. pp. 1 -- 4. Retrieved May 20, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Directory of State Parks and Recreation Areas '' ( PDF ). North Carolina Office of Administrative Hearings. May 1, 2010. pp. 1 -- 2. Retrieved May 20, 2011. Jump up ^ `` A History of The Middle New River Settlements and Contiguous Territory ''. Retrieved September 8, 2015. ^ Jump up to : Frye, Keith ( 1986 ). Roadside Geology of Virginia. Missoula, Montana : Mountain Press. pp. x + 278. ^ Jump up to : Strausbaugh, P.D. & E.L. Core ( 1978 ). Flora of West Virginia ( Second Edition ). Morgantown, West Virginia : Seneca Books, Inc. pp. xl + 1079. Jump up ^ The non-automotive Royal Gorge Bridge in Colorado, USA, a suspension bridge, has a higher deck than the New River Gorge Bridge, at 1,053 ft ( 321 m ) above the Arkansas River. Jump up ^ `` New River ''. Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. Retrieved December 16, 2011. Jump up ^ `` '' Time Trail, West Virginia '' September 1997 Programs ``. West Virginia Division of Culture and History. Retrieved June 4, 2010. Jump up ^ Gary Jennings, `` An Indian Captivity, '' American Heritage Magazine, August 1968, Vol. 19, Issue 5. Jump up ^ ( 1 ) Jump up ^ `` Climbing at New River Gorge ( National Park Service ) ''. Adams, Noah ( 2001 ). Far Appalachia : Following the New River North. Delacorte Press. ISBN 0 - 385 - 32010 - 8. provides an informal, personal account of the river 's natural history and local culture DeLorme Atlas & Gazetteer of North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia. External links New River Watershed Roundtable New River Water Trail ( Giles County, Virginia ) Friends of the New River `` Fishing in the New River ''. National Park Service. New River Conservancy ( formerly 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 Along the New River : The Defeat of the Blue Ridge Project in Historical Perspective '' Master 's thesis. Department of History, Virginia Tech. Schoenbaum, Thomas J. ( 2007 ). The New River Controversy. McFarland. ISBN 0 - 7864 - 2838 - 4. Woodard, R. Seth ( August 2006 ). `` Saving the New River ''. Appalachian Voices. American Heritage Rivers Rivers Blackstone & Woonasquatucket Connecticut Cuyahoga Detroit Hanalei Hudson Lower Mississippi Potomac New Rio Grande St. Johns Upper Mississippi Upper Susquehanna & Lackawanna Willamette Protected areas of North Carolina Federal National Parks Great Smoky Mountains National Historic Sites Carl Sandburg Home Fort Raleigh National Memorials Wright Brothers National Military Parks Guilford Courthouse National Battlefields Moores Creek National Parkways Blue Ridge Parkway ( Crabtree Falls Craggy Gardens Cumberland Knob Doughton Park E.B. Jeffress Park Julian Price Memorial Park Linville Falls Moses H. Cone Memorial Park Mount Pisgah Waterrock Knob ) National Trails Appalachian Trail Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail National Seashores Cape Hatteras Cape Lookout National Marine Sanctuary Monitor National Estuarine Research Reserve Currituck Banks Rachel Carson Masonboro Island Zeke 's Island National Forests Cherokee Croatan Nantahala Pisgah Uwharrie National Wildlife Refuges Alligator River Cedar Island Currituck Mackay Island Mattamuskeet Pea Island Pee Dee Pocosin Lakes Roanoke River Swanquarter Wilderness Areas Birkhead Mountains Catfish Lake South Ellicott Rock Joyce Kilmer - Slickrock Linville Gorge Middle Prong Pocosin Pond Pine Sheep Ridge Shining Rock Southern Nantahala Swanquarter Wilderness Study Areas Craggy Mountain Harper Creek Lost Cove Overflow Snowbird Wild and Scenic Rivers Chattooga River Horsepasture River Lumber River New River Wilson Creek State State Parks Carolina Beach Carvers Creek Chimney Rock Cliffs of the Neuse Crowders Mountain Dismal Swamp Elk Knob Eno River Fort Macon Goose Creek Gorges Grandfather Mountain Hammocks Beach Hanging Rock Haw River Jockey 's Ridge Jones Lake Lake James Lake Norman Lake Waccamaw Lumber River Mayo River Medoc Mountain Merchants Millpond Morrow Mountain Mount Mitchell New River Pettigrew Pilot Mountain Raven Rock Singletary Lake South Mountains Stone Mountain William B. Umstead State Recreation Areas Falls Lake Fort Fisher Jordan Lake Kerr Lake State Natural Areas Hemlock Bluffs Masonboro Island Mount Jefferson Occoneechee Mountain Theodore Roosevelt Weymouth Woods See also List of North Carolina State Natural Areas State Lakes Bay Tree Lake Jones Lake Lake Phelps Salters Lake Singletary Lake Lake Waccamaw White Lake State Trails Deep River French Broad River Mountains - to - Sea Yadkin River State Rivers Horsepasture River Linville River Lumber River New River State Forests Bladen Lakes DuPont Clemmons Holmes Jordan Lake Mountain Island Rendezvous Mountain Turnbull Creek Tuttle State Historic Sites Alamance Battleground Charles B. Aycock Birthplace Historic Bath Bennett Place Bentonville Battleground Brunswick Town / Fort Anderson C.S.S. Neuse and Governor Caswell Memorial Charlotte Hawkins Brown Memorial Duke Homestead Historic Edenton Fort Dobbs Fort Fisher Historic Halifax Horne Creek Living Historical Farm House in the Horseshoe North Carolina Transportation Museum President James K. Polk Historic Site Reed Gold Mine Somerset Place Stagville State Capitol Town Creek Indian Mound Tryon Palace Historic Sites & Gardens Zebulon B. Vance Birthplace Thomas Wolfe Memorial NC Coastal Reserve Kitty Hawk Woods Emily and Richardson Preyer Buckridge Buxton Woods Permuda Island Bald Head Woods Bird Island Other Nature centers List of nature centers in North Carolina Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=New_River_(Kanawha_River)&oldid=794893130 '' Categories : American Heritage Rivers Rivers of North Carolina Rivers of Virginia Rivers of West Virginia Tributaries of the Kanawha River New River Gorge National River Protected areas established in 1975 Protected areas of Ashe County, North Carolina Protected areas of Alleghany County, North Carolina Rivers of Grayson County, Virginia Rivers of Carroll County, Virginia Bodies of water of Wythe County, Virginia Bodies of water of Pulaski County, Virginia Rivers of Montgomery County, Virginia Bodies of water of Giles County, Virginia Rivers of Mercer County, West Virginia Rivers of Summers County, West Virginia Rivers of Raleigh County, West Virginia Rivers of Fayette County, West Virginia Hidden categories : Use mdy dates from February 2013 Coordinates on Wikidata Geobox usage tracking for river type Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Français 日本 語 Русский Edit links This page was last edited on 10 August 2017, at 17 : 42. 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Question: where is the head of the new river
Answer: Boone, NC