The Staircase is a stretch of rapids in Jefferson County, West Virginia, in the Blue Ridge region. It lies about 0.6 miles southeast of Bolivar and roughly 17 miles northwest of Leesburg as the crow flies.
The Blue Ridge is the highest part of the southern Appalachians, a range of forested peaks and coves with oak, hickory, tulip poplar and hemlock and spruce-fir on the summits, in one of the wettest climates in the East. Steep mountain streams drop over granite, gneiss and quartzite ledges, giving the region hundreds of waterfalls.
It is the only recorded rapid in Jefferson County. White Horse Rapids, is about 1.3 miles away across the state line in Maryland. Houris Falls, is about 6.3 miles away across the state line in Maryland.
The Staircase is located at 39.3196° N, 77.7428° W. The listing is based on the USGS Geographic Names Information System, one of the sources compiled by the U.S. Geological Survey in its inventory of waterfalls and rapids of the conterminous United States. The position was verified on aerial imagery. Details on trails, parking and access have not been documented for this rapid yet.