Lost River (Cacapon River)

Lost River
River
Country	United States
State	West Virginia
County	Hardy County
Source
- location	Mathias
- coordinates	38°48′56″N 78°52′41″W / 38.81556°N 78.87806°W / 38.81556; -78.87806
Mouth	Cacapon River
- location	McCauley
- coordinates	39°03′49″N 78°39′16″W / 39.06361°N 78.65444°W / 39.06361; -78.65444Coordinates: 39°03′49″N 78°39′16″W / 39.06361°N 78.65444°W / 39.06361; -78.65444
Length	31.1 mi (50 km)
Discharge	for McCauley
- average	186 cu ft/s (5 m3/s) (Oct. 1971 to Jan. 1980)
Location of the mouth of the Lost River in West Virginia

The Lost River is a 31.1-mile-long (50.1 km) river in the Appalachian Mountains of Hardy County in West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle region. The Lost River is geologically the same river as the Cacapon River: It flows into an underground channel northeast of McCauley along West Virginia Route 259 at "the Sinks" and reappears near Wardensville as the Cacapon. The source of the Lost River lies south of Mathias near the West Virginia/Virginia border. Along with the Cacapon and North rivers, the Lost River serves as one of the three main segments of the Cacapon River and its watershed.

The river is listed as impaired due to pathogens by the state of West Virginia; this is likely due to the livestock and poultry raising activities throughout the valley.

The river was named for the fact it is a losing stream.

Tributary streams are listed from south (source) to north ("the Sinks").