The Calfpasture River is a

river A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside Subterranean river, caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

. It flows about from its

source Source may refer to: Research * Historical document * Historical source * Source (intelligence) or sub source, typically a confidential provider of non open-source intelligence * Source (journalism), a person, publication, publishing institute ...

, Gordons Peak in the

Allegheny Mountains The Allegheny Mountain Range ( ) — also spelled Alleghany or Allegany, less formally the Alleghenies — is part of the vast Appalachian Mountain Range of the Eastern United States and Canada. Historically it represented a significant barr ...

, to its

confluence In geography, a confluence (also ''conflux'') occurs where two or more watercourses join to form a single channel (geography), channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main ...

with the Little Calfpasture River, forming the

Maury River The Maury River is a tributary of the James River (Virginia), James River in west-central Virginia in the United States. It is part of the drainage basin, watershed of Chesapeake Bay. Course The Maury flows for its entire length in Rockbridge Co ...

. Via the Maury, the Calfpasture's waters flow into the

James River The James River is a river in Virginia that begins in the Appalachian Mountains and flows from the confluence of the Cowpasture and Jackson Rivers in Botetourt County U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowli ...

, thence

Chesapeake Bay The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula, including parts of the Ea ...

and the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...

. According to the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, variant names of the Calfpasture River include the Big Calfpasture River, Calf Pasture River, Great Calfpasture River, and North River.

Course

The Calfpasture River originates on the slopes of Gordons Peak, in

Augusta County Augusta County is a county in the Shenandoah Valley on the western edge of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The second-largest county of Virginia by total area, it completely surrounds the independent cities of Staunton and ...

, near

Shenandoah Mountain Shenandoah Mountain is a mountain ridge approximately long in Virginia and West Virginia. The steep, narrow, sandstone-capped ridge extends from northern Bath County, Virginia to southern Hardy County, West Virginia. Along the way, its crest de ...

, in

George Washington National Forest The George Washington and Jefferson National Forests is an administrative entity combining two U.S. United States National Forest, National Forests into one of the largest areas of public land in the Eastern United States. The forests cover o ...

. Its headwater tributaries drain Bald Ridge. The river flows generally southwest for most of its course. The tributary Braley Branch joins just before the Calfpasture River flows by the small settlement of West Augusta.

U.S. Route 250 U.S. Route 250 (US 250) is a route of the United States Numbered Highway System, and is a spur of U.S. Route 50. It currently runs for from Richmond, Virginia, to Sandusky, Ohio. It passes through the states of Virginia, West Virginia, and Ohi ...

crosses the river at West Augusta. Continuing southwest, the river is joined by West Dry Branch from the east, then it enters Deerfield Valley, where the tributaries Tizzle Branch and Still Run join. Deerfield Valley is flanked by Shenandoah Mountain to the west and Great North Mountain to the east. The Calfpasture River flows by the small town of Little Baltimore, after which one of its main tributaries, Hamilton Branch, joins. The Calfpasture River then flows out of Deerfield Valley and through Fridley Cove, where Fridley Branch joins. Below Fridley Cove, the Calfpasture River continues flowing southwest, through the valley between Walker Mountain to the west and Great North Mountain to the east. The river passes the small town of Marble Valley, then Clayton Mill Creek joins, after which the river leaves Augusta County and enters

Rockbridge County Rockbridge County is a county in the Shenandoah Valley on the western edge of the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 22,650. Its county seat is the city of Lexington. Rockbridge County completely surrounds the ...

. Near the town of Goshen the Calfpasture River is joined by Mill Creek from the west and Goshen Branch from the east. State Route 42 crosses the river at Goshen, and State Route 39 follows the river from Goshen downstream to the Maury River. Just south of Goshen the tributary Brattons Run joins the Calfpasture River, which then turns eastward, passing through a gap between Bratton Mountain and Knob Mountain. The Calfpasture River then joins the Little Calfpasture River. The confluence of the two marks the beginning of the Maury River.Course info mainly from an

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References

{{authority control Rivers of Virginia Tributaries of the James River Rivers of Augusta County, Virginia Rivers of Rockbridge County, Virginia

Course

See also

References