Glade Creek is a major
tributary of the
New River in
Raleigh County, West Virginia
Raleigh County is a county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 74,591. Its county seat is Beckley. The county was founded in 1850 and is named for Sir Walter Raleigh. Raleigh County is included in the ...
. Glade Creek lies within the largest side valley off New River in the
New River Gorge National River area.
Sources
Glade Creek is formed on
Flat Top Mountain just north of the point where
Raleigh,
Summers
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and
Mercer
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counties intersect. Just north of its source near
Ghent, it is impounded to form Flat Top Lake. Further north, it is again impounded to form Glade Creek Reservoir.
Canyon
Immediately north of Glade Creek Reservoir, Glade Creek begins its canyon section. The canyon varies from about in depth at its upstream end to over deep near its mouth at the
New River southeast of
Prince.
Much of the lower canyon is traversed by an abandoned railroad bed. Today, this former railbed is maintained as a hiking trail by
New River Gorge National River.
Phil G. McDonald Bridge
Approximately upstream of its mouth, Glade Creek is crossed by
Interstate 64 on the Phil G. McDonald Memorial Bridge, also known as the Glade Creek Bridge. This long
deck truss bridge
towers above the creek bed,
making it the highest Interstate bridge in the United States.
See also
*
List of rivers of West Virginia
References
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Rivers of West Virginia
New River Gorge National Park and Preserve
Rivers of Raleigh County, West Virginia