West Branch Peabody River
Encyclopedia
The West Branch of the Peabody River is a 5.8 mile long (9.3 km) river
in the White Mountains
of New Hampshire
in the United States
. It is a tributary of the Peabody River
, which flows into the Androscoggin River
, which in turn flows south and east into Maine
, joining the Kennebec River
near the Atlantic Ocean
. The West Branch of the Peabody is within the Great Gulf Wilderness of the White Mountain National Forest
for most of its length. It is paralleled by the Great Gulf Trail, a popular route for backpackers.
The stream rises in Great Gulf
, a large glacial cirque
on the northern side of Mount Washington
. The West Branch flows from the outlet of Spaulding Lake, a tarn
seated at the foot of the east face of Mount Clay
, and proceeds northeast deeper into the gulf, with Mount Jefferson
of the Presidential Range
to the west and Chandlers Ridge, a northern spur of Mount Washington, to the east. Upon reaching the outlet of Jefferson Ravine, the river turns east, with Mount Adams
and Mount Madison
rising above its northern bank.
The river ends at the Peabody River, 1.5 miles north (downstream) of Glen House, the entrance to the Mount Washington Auto Road
.
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
in the White Mountains
White Mountains (New Hampshire)
The White Mountains are a mountain range covering about a quarter of the state of New Hampshire and a small portion of western Maine in the United States. Part of the Appalachian Mountains, they are considered the most rugged mountains in New England...
of New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is a tributary of the Peabody River
Peabody River
The Peabody River is a 12.9 mile long river in the White Mountains of New Hampshire in the United States. It is a tributary of the Androscoggin River, which flows south and east into Maine, joining the Kennebec River near the Atlantic Ocean....
, which flows into the Androscoggin River
Androscoggin River
The Androscoggin River is a river in the U.S. states of Maine and New Hampshire, in northern New England. It is long and joins the Kennebec River at Merrymeeting Bay in Maine before its water empties into the Gulf of Maine on the Atlantic Ocean. Its drainage basin is in area...
, which in turn flows south and east into Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, joining the Kennebec River
Kennebec River
The Kennebec River is a river that is entirely within the U.S. state of Maine. It rises in Moosehead Lake in west-central Maine. The East and West Outlets join at Indian Pond and the river then flows southward...
near the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. The West Branch of the Peabody is within the Great Gulf Wilderness of the White Mountain National Forest
White Mountain National Forest
The White Mountain National Forest is a federally-managed forest contained within the White Mountains in the northeastern United States. It was established in 1918 as a result of the Weeks Act of 1911; federal acquisition of land had already begun in 1914. It has a total area of...
for most of its length. It is paralleled by the Great Gulf Trail, a popular route for backpackers.
The stream rises in Great Gulf
Great Gulf
The Great Gulf is a glacial cirque, or amphitheater-like valley head formed from a glacier by erosion, located in the White Mountains of New Hampshire...
, a large glacial cirque
Cirque (landform)
thumb|250 px|Two cirques with semi-permanent snowpatches in [[Abisko National Park]], [[Sweden]].A cirque or corrie is an amphitheatre-like valley head, formed at the head of a valley glacier by erosion...
on the northern side of Mount Washington
Mount Washington (New Hampshire)
Mount Washington is the highest peak in the Northeastern United States at , famous for dangerously erratic weather. For 76 years, a weather observatory on the summit held the record for the highest wind gust directly measured at the Earth's surface, , on the afternoon of April 12, 1934...
. The West Branch flows from the outlet of Spaulding Lake, a tarn
Tarn (lake)
A tarn is a mountain lake or pool, formed in a cirque excavated by a glacier. A moraine may form a natural dam below a tarn. A corrie may be called a cirque.The word is derived from the Old Norse word tjörn meaning pond...
seated at the foot of the east face of Mount Clay
Mount Clay
Mount Clay is a peak located in Thompson and Meserve's Purchase in Coos County in the Presidential Range of the White Mountains of New Hampshire...
, and proceeds northeast deeper into the gulf, with Mount Jefferson
Mount Jefferson (New Hampshire)
Mount Jefferson is located in Coos County, New Hampshire, and is the third highest mountain in the state. The mountain is named after Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, and is part of the Presidential Range of the White Mountains...
of the Presidential Range
Presidential Range
The Presidential Range is a mountain range located in the White Mountains of the U.S. state of New Hampshire. Containing the highest peaks of the Whites, its most notable summits are named for American Presidents, followed by prominent public figures of the 18th and 19th centuries.Mt...
to the west and Chandlers Ridge, a northern spur of Mount Washington, to the east. Upon reaching the outlet of Jefferson Ravine, the river turns east, with Mount Adams
Mount Adams (New Hampshire)
Mount Adams, elevation above sea level, is a mountain in New Hampshire, the second highest peak in the Northeast United States after its nearby neighbor, Mt. Washington. Located in the northern Presidential Range, Mount Adams was named after John Adams, the second president of the United States....
and Mount Madison
Mount Madison
Mount Madison is a mountain in the Presidential Range of New Hampshire in the United States. It is named after the fourth U.S. President, James Madison....
rising above its northern bank.
The river ends at the Peabody River, 1.5 miles north (downstream) of Glen House, the entrance to the Mount Washington Auto Road
Mount Washington Auto Road
The Mount Washington Auto Road is a toll road that extends from New Hampshire Route 16 in Pinkham Notch to the summit of Mount Washington in the White Mountains of the U.S. state of New Hampshire. The road climbs from an altitude of at the bottom to at the top, an average gradient of 11.6%...
.