Smoke Hole Canyon, Protected area in West Virginia, United States
Smoke Hole Canyon is a protected gorge in West Virginia with steep rock walls carved by the South Branch Potomac River. North Fork Mountain and Cave Mountain form the natural boundaries that define this landscape.
Early settlers arrived in the late 1740s and established small farms throughout the region. These communities relied on hunting, farming, and fishing as their main sources of livelihood.
The name likely comes from morning mists rising out of the river valley or from old practices of preserving meat in the caves here. Visitors can still see these mist formations drifting above the water on cool mornings.
Access to the canyon comes through Smoke Hole Road from State Route 220 in Pendleton County or State Route 55 in Grant County. It helps to check local conditions before arriving, as weather and road status can vary by season.
The surrounding mountains form part of the Smoke Hole-North Mountain Bioreserve, recognized as one of the most biologically diverse regions in the East. This recognition reflects the area's rich variety of plant and animal species thriving throughout the valleys and mountainsides.
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