Hughes River (West Virginia) - Course

Course

The Hughes flows for most of its length through Ritchie County as two streams:

• The North Fork Hughes River, 57 mi (92 km) long, rises in northern Ritchie County near the community of Mountain, and flows generally southwestwardly, passing through North Bend State Park, where in 2003 it was dammed to form North Bend Lake, and through the town of Cairo. It is crossed six times by the North Bend Rail Trail, which was a former line of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad built between 1853 and 1857.

• The South Fork Hughes River, 54 mi (87 km) long, rises in western Doddridge County, and flows generally westwardly through southern Ritchie County, past the communities of Berea, Smithville, and Macfarlan. West Virginia Route 47 roughly parallels the south fork's lower course.

The Hughes' north and south forks join near the community of Cisco, and the Hughes River then flows for 18 mi (29 km) through northern Wirt County and meets the Little Kanawha River near the community of Newark, 12 mi (19 km) southeast of Parkersburg.

Varieties of fish in the Hughes River include muskellunge; rock, smallmouth and spotted bass; flathead and channel catfish; and several species of sunfish.