Watauga River
| Watauga River Watoga | |
|---|---|
The Watauga River near Valle Crucis, North Carolina | |
Locator – overview | |
| Etymology | Native American |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| States | North Carolina, Tennessee |
| Counties | Avery NC, Watauga NC, Johnson TN, Carter TN, Sullivan TN, Washington TN |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Linville Gap |
| • location | Sugar Mountain, North Carolina |
| • coordinates | 36°07′25″N 81°50′07″W / 36.12361°N 81.83528°W |
| • elevation | 4,051 ft (1,235 m) |
| Mouth | Holston River, South Fork |
• location | Gray, Tennessee |
• coordinates | 36°26′50″N 82°25′15″W / 36.44722°N 82.42083°W |
• elevation | 1,352 ft (412 m) |
| Length | 78.5 mi (126.3 km) |
| Basin size | 867.849 sq mi (2,247.72 km2) |
| Basin features | |
| Progression | Watauga → Holston → Tennessee → Ohio → Mississippi → Gulf of Mexico |
The Watauga River (/wəˈtɔːɡə/) is a large stream of western North Carolina and East Tennessee. It is 78.5 miles (126.3 km) long with its headwaters in Linville Gap to the South Fork Holston River at Boone Lake.