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Visit a section of river between Keyser and Spring Gap...
Oldtown, Md.
South Branch Potomac River
Green Ridge State Forest
Paw Paw Tunnel
Little Orleans, Md.
Hancock, Md.
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The South Branch originates in Highland County, Virginia (the South Fork of the South Branch) and in the mountainous terrain of West Virginia (the North Fork of the South Branch). The river travels northward in its course toward Potomac Forks at Oldtown, MD where it merges with the North Branch to form the main stem of the Potomac. Along its course it travels through the steep, forested Appalachian Mountains and steep through forests and shear sandstone cliffs of Nelson and Seneca Rocks.
The South Branch is considered by many as the true point of origin for the Potomac River. Though longer than the North Branch, history has nonetheless designated the more northern flow the true source. The Fairfax land grant designated that east and south of the Potomac River would belong to Lord Fairfax, thus the North Branch provided more territory for Fairfax and Virginia. Lord Baltimore challenged this claim and Thomas Cresap surveyed the South Branch to prove that it was indeed the longer river and the proper boundary, however the Revolutionary War interrupted the dispute and the land remained with Virginia.
The South Branch Valley was the scene of fierce skirmishes between Native Americans and white settlers in the 1750s.
Today the South Branch is experiencing new environmental challenges with growth of the chicken industry and increased lumbering. |
