The New River, the southernmost headwater of the Teays River, arises in Watauga County, North Carolina in the Blue Ridge. This area is northeast of Asheville. It flows northeasterly direction for some distance and after making a right-angled bend, it trends northward until it makes a 90° turn to the west and joins the Gauley River. Here, it takes a new name as the Kanawha River. This continues to the northwest to Charleston. As New River, it was joined by the Greenbrier and Bluestone rivers. At Charleston, the Kanawah, is joined by the Elk River.