The Bluestone River begins in Virginia and gets its name from the blue-grey limestone rocks along its banks. It flows 86.7 miles, with about 55 miles running through West Virginia. The river enters the state near Wolfe (Mercer County), cutting through ridges with many bends. One large bend surrounds Bramwell. The final part flows through the scenic Bluestone Gorge.

Today, much of the lower river and gorge is covered by Bluestone Lake near Hinton (Summers County), formed by a dam built on the neighboring New River to control floods. The area is now protected as the Bluestone National Scenic River, linking Bluestone and Pipestem state parks.