Highest ridge of the Allegheny Mountains, which covers parts of four states, with its summit, Spruce Knob (4863 ft; 1482 m), the highest point in the state of West Virginia
General Information
How to Get There
From Washington, DC (181 mi) Follow M St NW and 23rd St NW. Take I-66 W and US-48 W to WV-28 S/N Main St in Petersburg. Continue on WV-28 S. Drive to Forest Rd 104 in Riverton.
Overview
Spruce Knob is the highest point in West Virginia at 4,863 feet, the top of Spruce Mountain in Monongahela National Forest. The summit feels alpine: a relic boreal forest of red spruce, wind-gnarled by high western winds, surrounds boulder fields and meadows, with a stone lookout tower and 360-degree views. It is part of the Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area and the highest point in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
A paved Forest Service road reaches the summit (not maintained in winter, and often impassable from mid-October to mid-April), and a half-mile accessible nature trail circles the top. More than 75 miles of trails, a trout lake, and two campgrounds are nearby, and sunrise, sunset, and fall color are especially popular.
Top Trails
| Trail | Length | Difficulty | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spruce Knob Summit Trail | About 0.5 miles round trip | Easy | Observation platforms and overlooks near the top |
| Whispering Spruce Trail | About 0.5 miles loop | Easy | Interpretive walk through the spruce forest |
| Huckleberry Trail | About 6 miles one way | Moderate | Descends from the summit, connecting Spruce Knob with Seneca Rocks |
| Seneca Creek Trail | Varies | Moderate to Strenuous | Waterfalls and streams of the Seneca Creek Backcountry |
This article uses material from official tourism pages for Spruce Knob, Spruce Mountain (West Virginia), released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0.
