Glade Creek is a major tributary

Tributary

A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...

 of the New River in Raleigh County, West Virginia

Raleigh County, West Virginia

As of the census of 2000, there were 79,220 people, 31,793 households, and 22,096 families residing in the county. The population density was 130 people per square mile . There were 35,678 housing units at an average density of 59 per square mile...

. Glade Creek lies within the largest side valley off New River in the New River Gorge National River

New River Gorge National River

The New River Gorge National River is a unit of the United States National Park Service designed to protect and maintain the New River Gorge in southern West Virginia. Established in 1978, the NPS-protected area stretches for from just downstream of Hinton to Hawks Nest State Park near Ansted.New...

 area.

Source

Glade Creek is formed on Flat Top Mountain just north of the point where Raleigh

Raleigh County, West Virginia

As of the census of 2000, there were 79,220 people, 31,793 households, and 22,096 families residing in the county. The population density was 130 people per square mile . There were 35,678 housing units at an average density of 59 per square mile...

, Summers

Summers County, West Virginia

Summers County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 13,927. Its county seat is Hinton. Summers County was created by an act of the West Virginia General Assembly on February 27, 1871 from parts of Fayette, Greenbrier, Mercer and Monroe...

 and Mercer

Mercer County, West Virginia

-External links:* * * * * * *...

 counties intersect. Just north of its source near Ghent

Ghent, West Virginia

Ghent is an unincorporated census-designated place in Raleigh County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2010 census, its population was 457....

, it is impounded to form Flat Top Lake. Further north, it is again impounded to form Glade Creek Reservoir.

Canyon

Immediately north of Glade Creek Reservoir, Glade Creek begins its canyon section. The canyon varies from about 200 feet (61 m) in depth at its upstream end to over 1200 feet (365.8 m) deep near its mouth at the New River southeast of Prince

Prince, West Virginia

Prince is an unincorporated census-designated place in Fayette County, West Virginia, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population was 116. Located at an altitude of 1,263 feet , it is served by an Amtrak station.-External links:...

.

Much of the lower canyon is traversed by an abandoned railroad bed. Today, this former railbed is now maintained as a hiking trail by New River Gorge National River

New River Gorge National River

The New River Gorge National River is a unit of the United States National Park Service designed to protect and maintain the New River Gorge in southern West Virginia. Established in 1978, the NPS-protected area stretches for from just downstream of Hinton to Hawks Nest State Park near Ansted.New...

.

Phil G. McDonald Memorial Bridge

Location: 37°46′06"N 81°02′30"W

Approximately 5 miles (8 km) upstream of its mouth, Glade Creek is crossed by Interstate 64

Interstate 64

Interstate 64 is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Its western terminus is at I-70, U.S. 40, and U.S. 61 in Wentzville, Missouri. Its eastern terminus is at an interchange with I-264 and I-664 at Bowers Hill in Chesapeake, Virginia. As I-64 is concurrent with...

 on the Phil G. McDonald Memorial Bridge, also known as the Glade Creek Bridge. This 2179 feet (664.2 m) long deck truss bridge towers 700 feet (213.4 m) above the creek bed, making it the highest Interstate bridge in the United States.