By Jeanne Mozier

There's a single rock outcropping that offers a spectacular panorama of the two rivers that wind their way through Morgan County. That point is the famed Prospect Peak, an overlook just 3 miles west of Berkeley Springs on Rt. 9. A favorite from colonial times to the present, the view includes forested mountains of Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania as well as the joining of two rivers -- the stately Potomac and the primitive Cacapon.

Dating back 600 million years or more, both rivers are among the most ancient on earth; their basins remaining fixed as the Appalachian Mountains rose around them.

Favorite hunting and fishing grounds for native tribes in the region, the Potomac and Cacapon today still draw sportsmen from miles around for bass, crappie and catfish.

The Potomac River bends and angles through ever-higher mountains on either bank as it marks the northern boundary of Morgan County, dividing it from Maryland. It was the highway for native tribes, and artifact-rich remains have been found along the river near the Hancock bridge and the towns of Great Cacapon and Paw Paw.

One of the Potomac's most notable features is the series of bends near Paw Paw -- the northernmost one lopped off by the Paw Paw Tunnel, handcarved through Sorrell Ridge. The nearly mile-long tunnel, largest man-made structure on the C&O Canal, was considered a 19th century wonder of the world. Today, visitors can walk through year 'round and enjoy ranger-guided tours on weekends in summer.

For George Washington, one of the region's early developers, the Potomac was the magical way west, linking the Chesapeake Bay with the Ohio River. His vision of migration and development through the Potomac Valley inspired the building of various passages ranging from the National Road to the B&O railroad. Today, it's Interstate 70 then 68 that follow the old paths. Washington struggled unsuccessfully for years to develop a canal that would bypass the parts of the river that were not navigable, even hiring steam-boat inventor, James Rumsey, to manage his Potomack Navigation Company. The C & O Canal acquired the assets of Washington's company in 1828 and finally built a canal along the Maryland side.

There have been ferries, bridges and Civil War artillery barrages across the Potomac near the road leading from Berkeley Springs north to Maryland. Further west along the Potomac, now-empty towns like Magnolia thrived during railroad days at the turn of the 20th century. The remaining Potomac River towns in Morgan County are Paw Paw and Great Cacapon, both prevented from riverfront property by extensive floodplains and railroad right of ways. Small dirt roads without names or numbers carry adventurers along the south bank of the river between the two towns through countryside that looks much like the frontier terrain that attracted Washington.

The Cacapon River snakes its way north through the heart of Morgan County along the tree-covered western slope of the mountains. Its tight s-curves and horseshoe bends finally empty into the Potomac at the hamlet of Great Cacapon. An early 19th century visitor to the area suggested that the Cacapon was source of the water that flowed from the mountains, warm and mineral-laden, into the baths at Berkeley Springs. Later in the century, local iron was floated downriver to the Potomac. Today, the Cacapon is virtually pristine as it runs through Morgan County, cleaned of organic matter that pollutes upstream waters. An outstanding float-fishing stream, the Cacapon is dotted with vacation cabins.

George Washington valued the 240 acres of rich bottomland he owned along a horseshoe bend of the Potomac in western Morgan County. For two centuries, other have followed suit, planting orchards and farming the lands along both the Potomac and Cacapon. Regular flooding of the rivers keeps the bottomlands rich while it wreaks destruction on manmade structures. Paw Paw and Great Cacapon's small populations are within flood distance of the Potomac; Morgan County's main town -- Berkeley Springs -- is a safe and dry six-mile distance from either river.

Fun On The Rivers

Fishing, canoeing and tubing are popular pastimes, particularly along the Cacapon River. In Morgan County, all river sports are bring-your-own equipment. Anyone more than 15 years old must have a license to fish in West Virginia. A half-dozen places in Morgan County sell licenses including the Morgan County Courthouse and Cacapon State Park.

There are public access points along both rivers. Access points along the Cacapon River are found at Great Cacapon, Power Plant, Rt. 9 Bridge and Largent. Access points on the Potomac River are at Paw Paw, Cacapon River Bridge in Great Cacapon and Cherry Run. Most are marked with "sportsman access" signs. Maps are available in the Berkeley Springs visitors' center.

Door-To-Door Tubing

River House is unique in the bed and breakfast world. Due to its fortuitous placement on the solid section of a horseshoe bend in the Cacapon River, guests are able to forgo the tedium of car-ferrying and planting and simply concentrate on tubing the river. "Our guests can float downstream from River House's deck over the river, walk a short walk, then put in upstream and float back," says the B&B's owner and chief cook, Kit Patten.

Tubes are available at River House. Open year-round just 1/4 mile outside Great Cacapon. Call 304-258-4042 for reservations.

The Ultimate In Adventure Driving In Morgan County

It's an afternoon of adventure driving that takes a traveler from the Potomac along the snaking Cacapon and back to the Potomac again. Driving Rt. 9 west from Berkeley Springs to Paw Paw includes a world-class view of four states and two rivers, a walk through a handcarved, mile-long tunnel, and lunch in a down-home cafe.

The 35-mile drive begins with mountains climbing and dropping as seen from the Prospect Peak Overlook 3 miles west of Berkeley Springs, then settles into following the Cacapon River. The twisting river provides miles of wild and primitive scenic peeks at the water. Stay on Rt. 9 to Paw Paw; the Paw Paw Tunnel is a mile further, through town and across the Potomac River into Maryland. Entry to the tunnel is through a small park with pavilion and picnic area. The flat, well-graded road from the park along the C & O Canal to the mouth of the mile-long tunnel is approximately 1/4 miles. A strenuous hike takes travelers over the top of Sorrell Ridge, past slag heaps dug from the tunnel and hauled up through holes, to the other end.