Friday, August 1, 2025
70.9 F
Beckley
More

    FACT CHECK: Is the New River one of few rivers that flow north?

    FAYETTEVILLE, W.Va.—Repeated enough, hearsay can morph into what would seem fact, despite the evidence. The New River is a good case in point. "The New River and the Nile are the only rivers that flow north." Many students heard this often as a child growing up near the New in southern West Virginia.

    Advertisement

    The New River is in many ways remarkable. It crosses through a mountain range rather than descending out of one. It's also one of the oldest rivers in the world, though it was ironically named "New," likely because it flowed away from the settled coastlands whence early explorers came.

    Several West Virginia rivers flow north.

    But the New River is NOT one of only a few rivers that flow north—not by a long shot.

    As it was sometimes taught in schools in southern West Virginia, the New River and Nile River were among the few rivers—or were the only rivers—that flowed northward. But a glance at a map of rivers of the world immediately disproves this lore.

    Advertisement
    Advertisement
    Advertisement
    Advertisement

    How did this tale become common currency in West Virginia classrooms?

    I heard it repeated often as a student, and I don't mean to disparage teachers, as this concerns a matter of human nature. Still, a glance at any map, even a map of West Virginia, provides plenty of evidence otherwise. The New River is not one of the only rivers that flow north.

    Many rivers in West Virginia flow north—the , , , , , and . The , which begins in West Virginia but quickly leaves the state from Maryland and Pennsylvania, also flows north.

    In addition to the Nile, there are plenty of examples of northward flowing rivers worldwide. In North America, there are the Red, the Bighorn, the Little Bighorn, the Oswego, the Genesee.

    Advertisement
    Advertisement
    Advertisement
    Advertisement

    Now that the Internet provides us all a means to discover facts to which teachers a quarter-century ago had no access, the fiction that the New River is one of the only northward-flowing rivers can be laid to rest.

    Conley Hill rises beyond the mouth of the New River at Gauley Bridge, West Virginia.

    How did rumors of the river's remarkable status enter the classroom? Park rangers employed by the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve and other educators and historians cite two possibilities.

    First, because both the New and Nile may be among the oldest river systems on Earth, it's possible residents of southern West Virginia, and perhaps much of West Virginia, confused the matter, as both the New and Nile also flow north.

    Second, some people consider the direction North as being upward, though all rivers necessarily flow downward. So the origin of this alternative fact may lie somewhere in the idea that the river flows uphill, which would be remarkable.

    Advertisement

    Sign up to receive of FREE copy of West Virginia Explorer Magazine in your email weekly. 

    David Sibray
    David Sibray
    Historian, real estate agent, and proponent of inventive economic development in West Virginia, David Sibray is the founder and publisher of West Virginia Explorer Magazine. For more information, he may be reached at 304-575-7390.

    LEAVE A REPLY

    Please enter your comment!
    Please enter your name here

    Hot this week

    Wild and Wonderful: A journey through West Virginia’s most beautiful places

    CHARLESTON, W.Va. — In the wild heart of Appalachia,...

    Historic West Virginia heat waves and how the state can recover its coolness

    CHARLESTON, W.Va. — While known for its forests and...

    West Virginia to host first-ever Spartan Trifecta World Championship in the U.S.

    CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia will make history in...

    Nature’s classroom in the Kanawha Valley: A vibrant trail system blossoms in Buffalo

    BUFFALO, W.Va. — Among the fields and wetlands of...

    From Jerry West to Best Virginia, basketball in West Virginia is a unifying force

    MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The Mountain State is a land...

    Topics

    West Virginia to host first-ever Spartan Trifecta World Championship in the U.S.

    CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia will make history in...

    The five worst floods in West Virginia history: A Chronicle of Disaster

    CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Shaped by rugged mountains and winding...

    Splash into Fun: The Six Best Waterparks in West Virginia (2025 Guide)

    CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia’s natural beauty is world-famous,...

    The best East Coast stargazing? Discover West Virginia dark-sky wonders

    MOUNT ZION, W.Va. — If you’re searching for the...

    Related Articles

    Popular Categories