Potomac Highlands

The Potomac Highlands of West Virginia (/pəˈtoʊmək/ ⓘ), or simply the Potomac Highlands, centers on five West Virginian counties (Grant, Hampshire, Hardy, Mineral, and Pendleton) in the upper Potomac River watershed in the western portion of the state's eastern panhandle, bordering Maryland and Virginia.

The region's geologic setting and landscape history make the Potomac Highlands one of the most scenic areas within the central Appalachian Mountains.

Water gaps, where rivers or streams have cut through the ridges, are important not only for their dramatic scenery, but also for their utility as easy crossings of these otherwise formidable mountains for roads, railroads, and telephone and telegraph lines.

While much of the land in the Potomac Highlands is privately owned, large portions of the area are within the Monongahela National Forest, the George Washington National Forest, or various other kinds of parks, preserves, or other managed wild areas.

A group of sites within the Allegheny Highlands has been proposed for inclusion as a new unit within the U.S. National Park System.