Spruce Knob is West Virginia’s highest peak at 4,861ft above sea level. Spruce Knob is not only the West Virginia State Highpoint, the peak is also the highest point of the Allegheny Mountains and Appalachian Plateaus.
Spruce Knob is located within both the Monongahela National Forest and Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area (NRA). The NRA is approximately 100,000 acres. Nearby Seneca Rocks is considered one of the best rock climbing areas in the region. The summit has a public observation tower, made of stone and steel, where views of the surrounding landscape can be seen.
The summit of Spruce Knob has a definite alpine feel, much more so than most other mountains of the Southern Appalachians. The upper few hundred feet are covered in a dense spruce forest, a relic boreal forest environment similar to those found in northern New England and Canada.
