The Shenandoah
Valley is drained by the Shenandoah River and
its tributaries. The Valley extends on a
southwest to northeast bearing, from its
headwaters north of Lexington to the Potomac
River. At approximately 150 mi long, the
Shenandoah River is the principal tributary of
the Potomac River.
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A series of small streams flows northerly from
the Lexington area and combine to form the
South River near Waynesboro, the Middle River
near Staunton, and the North River near
Bridgewater. The North and Middle rivers
conjoin west of Grottoes, and the South River
merges a few miles downstream at Port Republic
to form the South Fork Shenandoah River, which
flows down the Page Valley to Front Royal.
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The Shenandoah Valley's unique feature is
Massanutten Mountain which extends for some
fifty miles from Strasburg southwest to
Harrisonburg. The Massanutten divides the
Valley into two smaller valleys, the main or
Strasburg Valley, which is drained by the
North Fork Shenandoah River, and the narrower
Page Valley, drained by the South Fork
Shenandoah River.
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The North Fork Shenandoah River arises from
many small streams that spring from Shenandoah
and North Mountain west and south of
Timberville. At Strasburg, the North Fork
turns abruptly east across the head of the
Massanutten, where it is joined by Cedar
Creek. At Front Royal the North and South
forks conjoin, forming the Shenandoah River
proper, now several hundred yards wide.
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From Front Royal, the Shenandoah flows to the
northeast along Blue Ridge Mountains and into
the Potomac River at Harpers Ferry. For the
last forty miles of its journey to the
Potomac, the Shenandoah River is paralleled on
the west by the Opequon Creek, which arises in
the vicinity of Winchester and drains the
western portion of the Lower Valley, emptying
into the Potomac River. |