Spruce Knob
The west side of the summit of Spruce Knob.
Elevation	4,863 feet (1482 m)
Location	West Virginia, USA
Range	Allegheny Mountains
Prominence	2783 feet (848m) [1]
Coordinates	38°41′59″N, 79°31′58″W
Topo map	USGS Spruce Knob
First ascent	unknown
Easiest route	drive-up

Spruce Knob, at 4,863 feet (1482 m), is the highest point in the state of West Virginia, USA and the summit of Spruce Mountain, the tallest mountain in the Alleghenies. Spruce Knob is within the Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area, which in turn is part of Monongahela National Forest. Established in 1965, it is the very first National Recreation Area designated by the U.S. Forest Service and consists of over 100,000 acres (405 km²). Its summit has a definite alpine feel, much more so than other mountains of the Southern Appalachians. The upper few hundred feet of the mountain are covered in a dense spruce forest, a relict boreal forest environment similar to forests found in northern New England and Canada. The summit is accessible via a long gravel road, and is crowned with a stone lookout tower while a mixture of boulder fields, meadows and trees are on the summit as well. A half mile (800 m) long handicap accessible nature trail circles the topmost part of the mountain. There are often high west winds near the summit, and as a result the spruce trees have limbs on only one side, pointing eastward. As is typical of the southern Appalachians, the highest point on a ridge is frequently referred to as a knob or dome. Spruce Knob is the highest point along this ridge better known as the Allegheny Front. The ridge drops steeply to the east with views of the Germany Valley available on clear days, while the view west is of the Allegheny Plateau. Image File history File links Spruce_Knob. ... A topographical summit is a point on a surface which is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. ... Official language(s) English Capital Charleston Largest city Charleston Area  Ranked 41st  - Total 24,244 sq mi (62,809 km²)  - Width 130 miles (210 km)  - Length 240 miles (385 km)  - % water 0. ... The Himalaya as seen from the International Space Station A mountain range is a group of mountains bordered by lowlands or separated from other mountain ranges by passes or rivers. ... The Allegheny Mountain Range (also spelled Alleghany and Allegany) -- informally, the Alleghenies -- is part of the Appalachian Mountain Range of the eastern United States. ... In topography, prominence, also known as autonomous height, relative height or shoulder drop (in America) or prime factor (in Europe), is a concept used in the categorization of hills and mountains, also known as peaks. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ... Example of a topographic map with contour lines Part of the same map in a perspective shaded relief view illustrates how the contour lines of the original follow the terrain Topographic maps are a variety of map characterized by large-scale detail and quantitative representation of relief, usually using contour... The United States Geological Survey (USGS) is a scientific agency of the United States government. ... In climbing, a first ascent (FA) is the first climb to reach the top of a mountain, or the first to follow a particular climbing route. ... Southern and northern Mount Everest climbing routes as seen from the International Space Station. ... Driving is the controlled operation of a vehicle, which is usually a motor vehicle such as a truck, bus, or car. ... Official language(s) English Capital Charleston Largest city Charleston Area  Ranked 41st  - Total 24,244 sq mi (62,809 km²)  - Width 130 miles (210 km)  - Length 240 miles (385 km)  - % water 0. ... The Allegheny Mountain Range (also spelled Alleghany and Allegany) -- informally, the Alleghenies -- is part of the Appalachian Mountain Range of the eastern United States. ... Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area is a United States National Recreation Area located in West Virginia within the Monongahela National Forest. ... The Monongahela National Forest is a national forest located in eastern West Virginia, within the portion of the Allegheny Mountains that includes the Allegheny Front and the western portion of the Ridge-and-valley Appalachians. ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ... National Recreation Area is a designation for a protected area in the United States usually centered on large reservoirs and emphasizing water-based recreation for a large number of people. ... The USDA Forest Service, a United States government agency within the United States Department of Agriculture, is under the leadership of the United States Secretary of Agriculture. ... An Alpine Meadow is a high-altitude grassland located in an alpine climate, above the treeline of a mountain. ... The Appalachian Mountains are a system of North American mountains running from Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada to Alabama in the United States, although the northernmost mainland portion ends at the Gaspe Peninsula of Quebec. ... Species About 35; see text. ... Taiga (SAMPA /taIg@/, from Russian тайга́) is a biome characterized by its coniferous forests. ... This article is about the region in the United States of America. ... The Allegheny Front is an escarpment delineating the eastern edge of the Allegheny Mountains. ... The Allegheny Plateau is a large, dissected plateau area in southern New York, western Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and eastern Ohio. ...

Spruce Knob's climate can be classified as humid continental. Summers are cool and often damp, while winters are cold and snowy. Thunderstorms are common in Spring and Summer. The mountain receives 160 + inches of snowfall annually, and for this reason the summit access road is often closed between October and April. The humid continental climate is found over large areas of land masses in the temperate regions of the mid latitudes where there is a zone of conflict between polar and tropical air masses. ...

While spruce is the most common tree species on the summit, the lower altitudes are populated by oak, hickory, birch, beech and maple. Bald eagles, hawks and peregrine falcons have been seen on the mountain. Mammals such as Black Bear, White-tailed Deer, weasel, porcupine, skunk and rabbit are also found. Species See List of Quercus species The term oak can be used as part of the common name of any of several hundred species of trees and shrubs in the genus Quercus, and some related genera, notably Cyclobalanopsis and Lithocarpus. ... Species See text Comparison of Carya nuts Ripe hickory nuts ready to fall, Andrews, SC Hickory is a tree of the genus Carya, including 17-19 species of deciduous trees with pinnately compound leaves and large nuts. ... Species Many species; see text and classification Birch is the name of any tree of the genus Betula, in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae. ... Species Fagus crenata - Japanese Beech Fagus engleriana - Chinese Beech Fagus grandifolia - American Beech Fagus hayatae - Taiwan Beech Fagus japonica - Japanese Blue Beech Fagus longipetiolata - South Chinese Beech Fagus lucida - Shining Beech Fagus mexicana - Mexican Beech or Haya Fagus orientalis - Oriental Beech Fagus sylvatica - European Beech Beech (Fagus) is a genus... Distribution Species See List of Acer species Maples are trees or shrubs in the genus Acer. ... Binomial name Haliaeetus leucocephalus (Linnaeus, 1766) Subspecies (Linnaeus, 1766) Southern Bald Eagle Audubon, 1827) Northern Bald Eagle or Washingtons Eagle Synonyms Falco leucocephalus Linnaeus, 1766 The Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), also known in North America as the American Eagle, is a bird of prey found in North America, most... Hawks redirects here. ... Binomial name Falco peregrinus Tunstall, 1771 The Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus), sometimes formerly known in North America as Duck Hawk, is a medium-sized falcon about the size of a large crow: 380-530 millimetres (15-21 in) long. ... Binomial name Ursus americanus Pallas, 1780 The American Black Bear (Ursus americanus) is the most common bear species native to North America. ... Binomial name Odocoileus virginianus Zimmermann, 1780 The white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), also known as the Virginia deer, is a medium-sized deer found throughout most of the continental United States, southern Canada, Mexico, Central America and northern portions of South America as far south as Peru. ... Species Mustela africana Mustela altaica Mustela erminea Mustela eversmannii Mustela felipei Mustela frenata Mustela kathiah Mustela lutreola Mustela lutreolina Mustela nigripes Mustela nivalis Mustela nudipes Mustela putorius Mustela sibirica Mustela strigidorsa Mustela vison Weasels are mammals in the genus Mustela of the Mustelidae family. ... Genera Family Erethizontidae Coendou Sphiggurus Erethizon Echinoprocta Chaetomys Family Hystricidae Atherurus Hystrix Thecurus Trichys This article is about the rodent mammal. ... Genera Conepatus Mydaus Mephitis Spilogale Skunks are moderately small mammals, usually with black-and-white fur, belonging to the family Mephitidae and to the order Carnivora. ... Genera Pentalagus Bunolagus Nesolagus Romerolagus Brachylagus Sylvilagus Oryctolagus Poelagus Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world. ...

There are over 75 miles of hiking trails around the mountain and a small 25 acre lake well stocked with trout on the west side of the mountain. Two campgrounds are also on the mountain with the one nearest the lake being the larger with 43 sites.

Best access is from Interstate 81 heading west on U.S. Route 33 from Harrisonburg, Virginia for approximately 50 miles (80 km). Briery Gap Road is 2 miles (3 km) south of Riverton, West Virginia off US 33. Follow for 2.5 (4 km) miles to Forest Road 112 and follow the signs to Spruce Knob. Forest Road 112 is a narrow but well graded unpaved access road and continues for 8 miles (13 km) to the mountain top. Expect winter conditions and possible road closures anytime from mid October to mid April. Interstate 81 (abbreviated I-81) is an interstate highway in the eastern part of the United States. ... United States Highway 33 is a north-south United States highway that runs northwest-southeast for 709 miles (1,141 km) from northern Indiana to Richmond, Virginia. ... Nickname: The Friendly City Location in Virginia Coordinates: County Independent City Founded 1737  - Mayor Rodney Eagle Area    - City 45. ... Official language(s) English Capital Richmond Largest city Virginia Beach Area  Ranked 35th  - Total 42,793 sq mi (110,862 km²)  - Width 200 miles (320 km)  - Length 430 miles (690 km)  - % water 7. ... Riverton is an unincorporated town on the North Fork South Branch Potomac River in Pendleton County, West Virginia, USA. Riverton lies along U.S. Highway 33/West Virginia Route 28 in the Monongahela National Forest. ...

External links

• Monongehela National Forest
• Photos from a visit to Spruce Knob, 1998

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