The Potomac Branches Region of eastern West Virginia is drained by the Potomac River and its tributaries, including the South Branch and Cacapon, which have carved long, fertile valleys in their descent from the highlands. The region is renown for pastoral landscapes and towering rock formations, which include Seneca Rocks, Nelson Rocks, and countless cliffs that draw climbers from across the globe. Hiking, biking, fishing, and hunting are popular pastimes. Much of the southern region is protected within the Jefferson, George Washington, and Monongahela national forests. Well preserved historical communities are located throughout. Tourism and agriculture are primary industries.
The Potomac Branches Region includes Grant, Hardy, Hamphire, Mineral, and Pendleton counties. The region rougly corresponds to the eastern half of the Potomac Highlands travel region of the West Virginia Department of Commerce.
The east-west Appalachian Corridor-H expressway is under construction through the central region and, when completed, will provide a high-speed route between I-79 at Weston, West Virginia, in the west, and I-81 at Front Royal, Virginia, in the east. Highways US-50 and US-33 travel across the region from east to west, and highway US-220 traverses the region from north to south. Interstate 68 nears the region at its northernmost point near Cumberland, Maryland.
