The Greenbrier is the longest river wholly within the State of West Virginia and an important tributary of the Kanawha River.  Col. Andrew Lewis surveyed along the Greenbrier in 1751 and his father, John, is credited with naming it for the prickly vine that was present everywhere.  The French name is Ronceverte, and it is possible that the French explorers named it first.

 

The river rises in the northern end of Pocahontas County, flows in a southwesterly direction across Pocahontas and Greenbrier counties and joins the New River just above Hinton in Summers County.  The elevation of the sources is about 3,800 feet; the average slope from East Fork to the mouth is about 12 feet to the mile.  The basin is remarkable on account of being long and of nearly uniform width from the source to the mouth.  The principal tributaries are North Fork, Knapp, Anthony, Howard, Second, and Muddy creeks.

 

The Greenbrier has long been a water source for many, including the City of Lewisburg.