The New River is one of the world's oldest. It starts in North Carolina and flows northward for 320 miles through Virginia and into West Virginia. At Gauley Bridge, it joins the Gauley River to form the Kanawha River.

Just inside West Virginia, the river is slowed by the Bluestone Dam (built in 1949, mainly for flood control). Below the dam, the river speeds up, rushing through shoals and falls, eventually carving the famous New River Gorge. This gorge was a boom area for coal and timber in the late 19th century, with towns like Thurmond becoming major railroad shipping hubs.

Today, the New River is famous for whitewater rafting, especially the wilder sections downstream from Thurmond. It is also protected by the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, which helps conserve this ancient and powerful waterway.