The Mighty Potomac
George Washington's river, the mighty Potomac, has its origins high in the mountains of West Virginia. It is composed of the two main branches which meet near Greenspring, West Virginia east of Cumberland, Maryland and forms the Maryland—West Virginia and the Maryland—Virginia borders as it wanders to the sea. For a long time the North Branch, which originates where the extreme southwestern tip of Maryland cuts down into West Virginia's eastern panhandle, was considered main source of the Potomac and indeed the Fairfax Stone marks that historic spot. Today we know the much longer and more scenic South Branch which originates high in the Appalachian Mountains in Pendleton County, is the true source of the river.Every school boy knows the story of George Washington's mighty heave of a silver dollar across the Potomac and of his beautiful home, Mount Vernon, located high on the banks of the lower river. Anyone who cherishes this tradition has never seen how wide the Potomac is at this point and no one has the prowess to accomplish such a feat. The legend probably refers to the upper Rappahannock River instead. Unfortunately, few realize that the father of our country also traveled on and was familiar with the upper reaches of this river, the sections that West Virginians know and love so well. Between Moorefield and Romney, the South Branch courses in a northeasterly direction through a magnificient gorge, the walls of which at times are almost perpendicular. This section, locally known as the "Trough," was explored by Washington in 1748. He described it as ". . . a couple of mountains impassable, running side and side together for seven or eight miles, and ye river running down between them."
The history-laden South Branch has been the scene of bitter Indian wars, as well as parts of the Civil War. Romney was the site of a key fort during the Civil War. Caves overlooking the famous Smokehole section of the South Branch were used as sources of saltpeter from Revolutionary times, as hide-away spots from Indian raiding parties, and even as the site of whiskey stills by some of our more enterprising ancestors. Today the South Branch Valley between Petersburg and the head of the Trough is the home of many industrious farmers whose rich, productive lands add to the beauty of the landscape against the majestic background of the ever-present mountains. Yet within easy reach upstream into the Smokehole country or downstream into the Trough, paddlers can find wild areas of unparalleled beauty.
For the paddler who would want to tour the river, there is a tremendous variety of scenery and type of paddling available. For almost 120 miles, the paddler can find delightful stretches of water to suit any taste. The whitewater buff begins his run by putting in near Franklin, West Virginia at the intersection of U.S. 33 and 220. Early in the spring when the warm sun releases the water from winter's icy grip, the Smokehole run is considered tops in beauty by paddlers from all over the East. After paddling above the hamlet of Upper Tract and passing through some open farm land along U.S. 220, the paddler enters the Smokehole canyon. The water tumbles furiously down the 22 feet per mile gradient creating complex, but invigorating Class 3 action. Soon the paddler reaches an area where a landslide has blocked the river. This is portaged by novices, but can be safely run by experienced whitewater buffs. The river continues its wild pace through the U.S. Forest Service campground and recreation area, an ideal overnight spot of the canoe-campers. This is located 22 miles from the put-in.
High on the right one may see Cave Mountain, a spelunker's delight. One more somewhat challenging rapids is encountered seven miles below the campground, but the water gradually becomes calmer, picks up its ripsnorter of a sister, the North Fork of the South Branch, and proceeds to Petersburg, West Virginia along State Routes 4 and 28. The water in the 21 mile trip
below the campground is of Class 1-2 complexity and a favorite with spring paddlers. Although the upper Smokehole Gorge is extremely scenic, the paddler will find attention glued to the complexity of the rapids.
Below Petersburg, the mountains recede and the South Branch flows swiftly but gently to Moorefield- some 17 miles awav. In and around Moorefield there are many stately, ante-bellum mansions maintained by historic families. Although the South Branch has more volume, the gradient is such that the rapids are not dificult and consist of gentle riffles or small ledges, easily negotiated by the well-coached novice. It is at Moorefield that the South Branch is further swollen by its confluence with its South Fork or the Moorefield River, a Class 3-4 boat buster. Most paddlers who are not expert whitewater buffs will want to start their trip on the South Branch at the U.S. 220 bridge at Old Fields, five miles downstream from Moorefield, the scene of
many an early Indian-settler skirmish. For four miles the river meanders through pleasant farm
land and picks up speed here and there to form zesty riffles. Soon the river makes a right-hand turn over a ledge into an exciting chute of haystacks under the railroad bridge that gives the paddler a nice roller-coaster ride.
The sight that greets the paddler and never fails to impress one is the gateway to the Trough. Here, the grandeur of the mountains provides mile after mile of eye-catching scenery. For the last several years an exciting new devlopment has occurred just below the bridge and that is the influx of Bal Eagles to the area indicating a much-welcomed return of wildlife habitat for these magnificent creatures. It is not too hard to see at least one of their nests. The vistas continue for another seven miles when the river again enters broader farm land. There are not many rapids in the Trough and only the occasional glimpse of railroad tracks on the left remind you that you are not traveling down the river with George Washington's surveying party. The long, flat pools of the Trough are reminiscent of Canadian lakes. The bass fishing along the 24 mile stretch between the towns of Moorefield and Romney is well known and is fantastic.
For the rest of the 34 miles from Romnev to its junction with the North Branch, the river meanders peacefully with only occasional riffles. The highways are usually near enough so that the trip can be broken up into smaller segments. Campsites, both in the Trough and downstream, are usually found, but be sure to obtain permission. Excellent tourist accommodations may be found at Franklin, Petersburg, Moorefield and Romney. In the same general area, one is in easy driving distance to the historic Shenandoah Valley—Harper's Ferry area of West Virginia and to the new Spruce Knob—Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area.
The upper part of the South Branch can only be run in the spring, but below Petersburg the river volume is such that it can be floated most of the year. The South Branch Valley, as the case
with much of the east, has suffered several summers of extreme dryness. At times such as these,
the canoeing is poor, so it is wise to check river levels first before entering the river or you might
end up taking a hike pulling your boat through all of the shallow places.
More treasures are encountered for the seasoned river rat after the South and North Branches combine at Greenspring. Two in particular are worth noting: one is the Paw Paw Bends section whch begins near Paw Paw WV and transcribes huge loops alongside the C and O Canal pathway, now a National Historic Park. Near the beginning of this section, the early canal builders decided to carve a tunnel for the canal waterway through a mountain. It begins and the put in. The paddler will then spend some time navigating some of these wide loops and will come across a "hiker-biker" overnight camp site, right at the other end of the same tunnel! One could easily leave a car at the put in, paddle this distance and then portage the boat back through the tunnel to the car.The last place in West Virginia that the Potomac touches is a dandy, Harpers Ferry, a nationally significant location and a National Historic Site itself. For the paddler, the last part of the Potomac rushes down a series of parallel ledges, called the "Needles", and joins the grand Shenandoah River, a wonderfully historic waterway in itself. What a fitting end for West Virginia's part of our Heritage River!
