The New River is estimated to be more than 100 million years old, making it one of the oldest rivers in the world. It is a remnant of the prehistoric Teays River. The first written documentation of the New River was by explorers Thomas Batte and Robert Hallow. A Totera Indian guide led them there on 13 Sept. 1671. First called Wood’s River, most likely for Abraham Wood, who launched the expedition, it became known as the New River by the middle of the 18th century. The New River is known for its treacherous current and stretches more than 300 miles through Virginia, North Carolina, and West Virginia.