k ▁river , ▁sevent y ▁miles ▁above ▁its ▁mouth ▁at ▁Char l eston , ▁in ▁that ▁wild ly ▁pictures que ▁portion ▁of ▁central ▁West ▁Virginia , ▁makes ▁an ▁ab rupt ▁b end ▁in ▁its ▁course , ▁where ▁the ▁waters , ▁now ▁with ▁imp et uous ▁r ush , ▁now ▁in ▁pla cid ▁pool , ▁are ▁b aff led ▁and ▁turned ▁to ▁the ▁right ▁in ▁a ▁grace ful ▁semi - circ ular ▁swe ep ▁of ▁almost ▁a ▁mile , ▁by ▁be et ling ▁cl iffs ▁rising ▁she er ▁from ▁the ▁river ▁level , ▁to ▁an ▁elev ation ▁of ▁several ▁hundred ▁feet . ▁These ▁cl iffs ▁and ▁their ▁huge ▁rocks , ▁which , ▁in ▁the ▁ages , ▁have ▁fallen ▁away ▁and ▁found ▁lod gment ▁in ▁and ▁along ▁the ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁stream , ▁to ▁the ▁pione er ▁ra ft s man , ▁as ▁his ▁craft ▁swe pt ▁into ▁the ▁curve ▁from ▁up river , ▁gave ▁the ▁distinct ▁impression ▁of ▁having ▁reached ▁an ▁ins uper able ▁bar rier ▁to ▁his ▁further ▁progress ▁- ▁a ▁cul - de - s ac , ▁or ▁the ▁jump ing - off ▁place ; ▁hence ▁from ▁the ▁earliest ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁country , ▁that ▁local ity ▁has ▁been ▁called , ▁and ▁still ▁be ars ▁the ▁name ▁- ▁' The ▁End ▁of ▁the ▁World ' ." ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁Category : Land forms ▁of ▁Clay ▁County , ▁West ▁Virginia ▁Category : El k ▁River ▁( West ▁Virginia ) ▁Category : Land forms ▁of ▁West ▁Virginia ▁Category : Cl iffs ▁of ▁the ▁United