The North River is a

tributary A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drai ...

of the

Cacapon River The Cacapon River ( ; meaning Medicine Waters), located in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle region, is an shallow river known for its fishing, boating, wildlife, hunting, and wilderness scenery. As part of the Potoma ...

, belonging to the

Potomac River The Potomac River () drains the Mid-Atlantic United States, flowing from the Potomac Highlands into Chesapeake Bay. It is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map. Retrieved Augu ...

and

Chesapeake Bay The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The Bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula (including the parts: the Eastern Shore of Maryland / ...

watersheds. The river is located in

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English cities on its south coast, Southampton and Portsmouth, Hampshire ...

and Hardy counties in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the B ...

Eastern Panhandle The Eastern Panhandle is the eastern of the two panhandles in the U.S. state of West Virginia; the other is the Northern Panhandle. It is a small stretch of territory in the northeast of the state, bordering Maryland and Virginia. Some sources ...

. The mouth of the North River into the Cacapon is located at Forks of Cacapon. From its headwaters to its mouth, the North River spans in length.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data
The National Map
accessed August 15, 2011

Headwaters and course

South Branch Mountain to Rio

The North River's headwaters comprise two streams that converge in the southeastern hollows of

South Branch Mountain South Branch Mountain is a mountain ridge that runs southwest to northeast through Hampshire and Hardy counties in the Eastern Panhandle of the U.S. state of West Virginia, rising to its greatest elevation of 3,028 feet (923 m) above sea-level in ...

(3028 ft) in Hardy County. From its source, the river flows east through the communities of

Inkerman Inkerman ( uk, Інкерман, russian: Инкерман, crh, İnkerman) is a city in the Crimean peninsula. It is '' de facto'' within the federal city of Sevastopol within the Russian Federation, but '' de jure'' within Ukraine. It li ...

and Rock Oak along North River Road (County Route 1) where it is joined by Grassy Lick Run. The North River continues to flow east as a shallow stony stream and after it passes through a gap in Short Mountain (2864 ft), it acts as the border between Hardy and Hampshire counties. It is in this stretch that the river is home to the Rio Turtle, a large turtle-shaped rock painted to resemble a

turtle Turtles are an order of reptiles known as Testudines, characterized by a special shell developed mainly from their ribs. Modern turtles are divided into two major groups, the Pleurodira (side necked turtles) and Cryptodira (hidden necked t ...

. The river then enters exclusively into Hampshire County where it meets the community of Rio and Sperry Run, which flows in from the south.

Rio to Forks of Cacapon

At Rio (pronounced RYE-O), the North River makes a ninety-degree bend and flows north into the wide fertile North River Valley along North River Mountain (2149 ft). Also beginning at Rio, the North River parallels West Virginia Route 29 (Delray Road). On its journey northward, the river is fed from the west by Deep Run and Mick Run, which drain off of Short Mountain. Further north along WV 29, the river passes through the communities of Delray and Sedan at Pearl Ridge (1302 ft). Departing from Sedan, the North River flows under the

Northwestern Turnpike The Northwestern Turnpike is a historic road in West Virginia (Virginia at the time the road was created), important for being historically one of the major roads crossing the Appalachians, financed by the Virginia Board of Public Works in the 183 ...

( U.S. Route 50) at Hanging Rock and winds its way northward around North River Mountain. Pine Draft Run and Tearcoat Creek join the river south of Hoy before the river bends yet again and joins Gibbons Run. Flowing through the historic village of North River Mills, the river is joined by Hiett's Run, which flows from the eastern side of

Ice Mountain Ice Mountain is a mountain ridge and algific talus slope that is part of a preserve near the community of North River Mills in Hampshire County, West Virginia, United States. It was designated a National Natural Landmark in 2012. Ice Mo ...

(1489 ft). After North River Mills, the river makes a sharp linear curve around the Devil's Backbone (856 ft) and then commences its movement northward along Pine Mountain (1726 ft). The North River crosses under the Bloomery Pike ( West Virginia Route 127) and is then joined from the west by Crooked Run before flowing under Gaston Road's one-lane bridge and finally arriving at its confluence with the

at Forks of Cacapon.

History

Since the early settlement of Hampshire County, the North River had been considered unnavigable by locals and experts alike.

Gallery

Image:Gaston Road Bridge Forks of Cacapon WV 2009 10 13 09.jpg, North River at Gaston Road (County Route 45/7) near Forks of Cacapon Image:North_River_North_River_Mills_WV_2005_09_19_09.jpg, North River viewed from Cold Stream Road (County Route 45/20) bridge at North River Mills Image:North_River_North_River_Mills_WV_2005_09_19_12.jpg, North River viewed from Cold Stream Road (County Route 45/20) bridge at North River Mills Image:North_River_North_River_Mills_WV_2005_09_19_13.jpg, North River viewed from Cold Stream Road (County Route 45/20) bridge at North River Mills

Bridges

Tributaries

Tributary streams are listed in order from south (source) to north (mouth). *Skaggs Run *Pot Lick Run **Horn Camp Run *Waterlick Run * Grassy Lick Run *Meadow Run *Sperry Run *Deep Run *Lick Run *Elkhorn Run *Hanging Rock Run **Stuart Hollow Run **Henderson Hollow Run *Pine Draft Run * Tearcoat Creek **Turkeyfoot Run ** Bearwallow Creek *Gibbons Run *Maple Run *Hiett Run **Riggs Hollow Run *Crooked Run *Castle Run

List of cities and towns along the North River

* Delray * Forks of Cacapon * Hanging Rock * Hoy *

* North River Mills * Rio * Rock Oak * Sedan

References

External links

{{authority control Rivers of Hampshire County, West Virginia Rivers of Hardy County, West Virginia Rivers of West Virginia Tributaries of the Potomac River