TheLittle Cacapon River is a 25.1-mile-long (40.4 km)[1] free-flowing tributary of thePotomac River in the center ofHampshire County,West Virginia.[2] Via the Potomac River, its waters are part of theChesapeake Bay watershed, leading to theAtlantic Ocean. The Little Cacaponenters the Potomac at an elevation of 499 feet (152 m) near the community ofLittle Cacapon. For the majority of its course the Little Cacapon is a shallow non-navigablestream. It has been historically referred to as bothLittle Cacapehon andLittle Capecaphon. The name is pronounced/kəˈkeɪpən/kə-KAY-pən orlocally/ˈkeɪpən/KAY-pən.
The Little Cacapon isformed at the confluence of two small streams, theNorth Fork Little Cacapon and theSouth Fork Little Cacapon, shortly after they both pass north under theNorthwestern Turnpike (U.S. Route 50) atFrenchburg. From Frenchburg, the Little Cacapon flows north between Town Hill, 1,329 feet (405 m) high, to its west andLittle Cacapon Mountain, 1,575 feet (480 m) high, to its east. Flowing from a hollow in Town Hill, Shawan Run feeds into the Little Cacapon atBarnes Mill. Two miles (3 km) north, Three Churches Run also feeds into the river from Town Hill. AtHigginsville onSlanesville Pike (County Route 3) near the old Vinita School, the river is fed by Crooked Run at Queens Ridge (1,322 feet (403 m) high). From Higginsville, the Little Cacapon continues northeast along Town Hill with 1,161-foot (354 m) Noland Ridge bounding it to the east. Also in the vicinity of Higginsville, Little Cacapon-Levels Road (County Route 3/3) intersects with Slanesville Pike, and as its name suggests, the road follows the Little Cacapon north until it diverges northwest toLevels via Hoffman Hollow. It is within this stretch of the stream that the Little Cacapon meanders by the community ofCreekvale. At the entrance of Neals Run, the Little Cacapon is met to its east by 2,237-foot (682 m)Spring Gap Mountain and then flows beneath theBaltimore and Ohio Railroad and empties into thePotomac River.
| Bridge | Route | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Little Cacapon Bridge | Little Cacapon River Road (CR 50/9) | Frenchburg |
| Barnes Mill Bridge | Little Cacapon River Road (CR 50/9) | Barnes Mill |
| CR 45/10 Bridge | Little Cacapon Mountain Road (CR 45/10) | Three Churches |
| Higginsville Bridge | Slanesville Pike (CR 3) | Higginsville |
| CR 3/3 Bridge | Little Cacapon-Levels Road (CR 3/3) | Creekvale |
| One-Lane Arch Bridge | Okonoko-Little Cacapon Road (CR 2/7) | Little Cacapon |
| Little Cacapon Railroad Bridge | Baltimore and Ohio Railroad | Little Cacapon |
The North Fork is a 9.3-mile-long (15.0 km)[1] tributary of the Little Cacapon. The North Fork's source lies in a hollow between 2,618-foot (798 m) Piney Mountain and the southwestern end of 2,274-foot (693 m) Stony Mountain. From its source, the North Fork flows northeast along Grassy Lick Road (County Route 10).South Branch Mountain (3,028 feet (923 m) high) joins the North Fork to its west, and along with Stony Mountain to its east, the river diverges from Grassy Lick Road and continues its northeastern route toShanks where it meets US Route 50. From Shanks, the North Fork merges with Camp Run and flows east under US Route 50 at Frenchburg, where it merges with the South Fork to create the Little Cacapon River.
The South Fork is an 8.4-mile-long (13.5 km)[1] tributary of the Little Cacapon. The South Fork is formed at its headwater in a hollow towards the southeastern end of Stony Mountain along South Fork of Little Cacapon Road (County Route 12) between the communities ofKirby andRuckman. From its source, the South Fork flows northeast toward Bell Hollow, where it meets US Route 50 and turns north through Frye's Flat towards Frenchburg. The South Fork continues north under US Route 50, where it immediately joins with the North Fork to form the Little Cacapon River alongside Little Cacapon River Road (County Route 50/9).
Tributary streams are listed in order from south to north.
Media related toLittle Cacapon River at Wikimedia Commons
39°31′06″N78°29′38″W / 39.51833°N 78.49389°W /39.51833; -78.49389