Order of Visit: High Point #35
Date Visited: March 28, 2021
Route Taken: Whispering Spruce Trail – 0.6 miles round-trip
Type of Terrain: Flat, east dirt path
Elevation: 4,861 feet
Ancestral Lands: Unknown (Shawnee, Cherokee, Saponi & Delaware, and Mingo people all made their homes in parts of West Virginia, but none of them claim this specific area.)
what’s in a name?
Like Sassafras Mountain (South Carolina’s high point), Spruce Knob derives its name from the predominant trees nearby.
The original spruce forests that covered this mountain were largely denuded during the turn of the 20th century. Thus, the trees present now are primarily second- or third-growth forest. Visitors will see Red Spruce trees near the summit, however, there also is a small 17-acre section of the mountain that still contains old-growth spruce trees too.
West Virginia has the only state high point in the U.S with word ‘knob’ in its name. This is a relatively common geographic feature in the Allegheny Mountains, with at least a dozen knobs within a 10-mile radius, including Mallow Knob, Germany Knob, Cedar Knob, Bible Knob, Tea Knob, and more.
A knob defined as prominent rounded hill with steep sides. A knob stands alone, and is not part of a rolling chain of hills. Thus, Spruce Knob is the single rounded peak that protrudes from the top of Spruce Mountain’s 16-mile “whale-backed” ridge.
Spruce Knob sits on public land within the Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation, which is part of the larger Monongahela National Forest. The forest’s name Monongahela is derived from the indigenous Lanape (Unami) language, and generally means “river with the falling banks.”
TRIP SUMMARY
Our visit to Spruce Knob came immediately on the heels of Maryland’s high point earlier in the day. After figuring out where our son Finn took his wrong turn on his descent, we trod back down the muddy trail to where our car was parked in West Virginia and set off for a two-fer.
The drive was just 67 miles down the Appalachian Highway, but it wasn’t going to be a quick one. This was mountain country, and it was slow-going as the road wound through what felt like the most rural part of the state.
In hindsight, we really should have stopped for lunch in the town of Davis, West Virginia, before continuing south. The town was adorable, and it had a bunch of lovely looking restaurants right along the Blackwater River. But, in our minds, we assumed we’d have more plenty more options to choose from en route.
Unfortunately that wasn’t the case. We saw nothing else along the rural drive and the three of us grew hungrier and hungrier over the next hour. Finally, when we got to the tiny town of Seneca Rocks, we spotted a Subway, and settled for some disappointingly mediocre sandwiches made by the teenagers manning the shop that afternoon.
As we ate in the car, we could see the picturesque Seneca Rocks towering over us like a rock cathedral in the near distance. This national recreation area is a popular hiking and rock climbing destination in the mid-Atlantic states, and it was easy to see its charming appeal.
Just beyond Seneca Rocks, we drove along a branch of the Potomac River and followed the signs toward Spruce Knob. Our turn off the highway onto Briery Gap Road (Public Road 112) was well-marked, but menacing gray clouds and rain were beginning to obscure the views around us.
We’d been mentally prepared to drive up on a dirt forest road (thanks to our outdated guide book) and were pleasantly surprised to discovered everything was paved now. Nonetheless, the 17-mile drive up the road was slow as we curved back and forth along the climb.
The ascent up Spruce Mountain involved a one-and-a-half lane paved road. By this I mean, there was enough room for one car or truck to comfortably drive on the road, and you had to immediately pull off to the narrow shoulder to let the occasional car pass in the opposite direction.
As we continued to climb at 35 miles per hour, we pushed our way up into the storm clouds and lost any potential views we might have enjoyed. It was now completely gloomy and rainy.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, we reached a sign directing us to continue straight if we were heading to the Spruce Lake and the nearby primitive campgrounds. Or we could turn right onto Public Road 104 to head up toward the summit of Spruce Knob.
From that road junction, we drove the final 1.5 miles in the pouring rain toward Spruce Knob’s large parking area. I opened the car window to take a photo of the Spruce Knob sign, and realized too late that the heavy wind was pushing the rain nearly sideways and I got soaked.
The mountain seemed to be making its own weather up here, and it was radically different from what we’d experienced down by the river. Who knew the 3,000 feet of elevation we’d just driven up would make such a drastic atmospheric change?
When we turned into the parking lot, there were a handful cars already parked there with their occupants safely ensconced inside. We immediately recognized one of the cars from our visit to Backbone Mountain just a few hours earlier. It was the same SUV with the New York plates that we’d parked behind at that trailhead!
We decided to follow their lead and sit inside our car until the storm broke. It was only 900 feet to the observation tower (where the high point actually sits) but we hoped to do it without getting knocked over by the wind or soaked completely through in the rain.
The storm raged for the next half hour, with winds rocking our SUV like it was a leaf in the wind. We watched as two of the other occupants impatiently got out of their car. But then the wind and rain immediately plastered their clothes to their skin, and a handful of items starting blowing out of their car and into the parking lot. After just a few moments, they changed their minds and quickly returned to the safety of their vehicle to resume their patient wait.
Keith’s bladder became an issue about 40 minutes into our wait, so we literally drove the six or so parking spaces down to where the pit toilets stood so he could safely brave the elements.
As he came out of the restroom though, something happened. The rain and wind seemed to be tapering off just enough to tempt us. It still was uber gloomy and gray outside, but we decided to make a run for it anyway. We couldn’t sit up on this mountain all afternoon.
As I jogged down the gravel path toward the observation tower, I was pleasantly surprised. The 6-8 foot tall tightly grouped trees were blocking the worst of the weather around us. It was far calmer out here on this path than it had been in the parking lot!
There were some signs pointing out the nuances of the local geology, but I didn’t to enjoy them in great detail. We didn’t want to press our luck. Our mission was to get down this trail to the observation tower!
Around a final bend, the observation tower came into view. As the first souls to brave the elements, we were completely alone out here on the high point. We quickly climbed to the top of the tower, but there was nothing but gray and white clouds to see in the middle of this storm. I’m sure our West Virginia surroundings look lovely on a clear sunny day, but we wouldn’t know.
Back down near the base, we searched for the survey monument to prove we’d been to the top of West Virginia. It was cold and we could feel the rain pelting us in this clearing in the middle of the spruce trees. Finally, after a few minutes, Keith spotted it submerged in a puddle near one of the corners of the observation tower.
We were going to head back to the car before a chill set in, but I decided to take a quick lap around the rest of the trail first. It was only a short loop, and I was already out here, so why not?
On a more typical day, visitors can stop at one of the many overlooks along the trail to enjoy the views of the mountains and valleys down below. But I would have to settle enjoying for the nearby signs, since there was nothing but clouds in front of me at each one.
After taking a quick jog around the Whispering Spruce Trail, I returned to the observation tower to find Keith chatting it up with several other highpointers – including the crew from New York.
While watching us make a dash for the trail, they’d mustered up their own courage to brave the elements too. And now everyone was huddled under the base of the observation tower taking their photos.
As a new group came walking down the path, we bid everyone goodbye and headed back to the car to begin the long drive back down the mountain.
Although we didn’t see much during our brief visit to the top of West Virginia, it will certainly stand out as one of the more memorable ones thanks to the inclement weather.
DETAILS
When to Visit: This peak is technically open year-round, but it requires a 17-mile drive up a steep, narrow paved route that isn’t plowed during the winter months. Spruce Knob averages 180 inches of snowfall annually. Thus, visitors should plan carefully between the months of October and April, when snow and ice are likely to make the road impassible. If you are looking for a current weather conditions for the local area, one consistently good resource is Snowshoe Mountain Ski Resort.
Getting There: Spruce Knob is located in the eastern part of the state, approximately 125 miles south of Morgantown, WV.
Entrance Fees: None. This summit is located in the Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area.
Parking: There is a paved parking loop with room for at least 20 vehicles near the summit. There’s also a pit toilet near the trailhead.
Accessibility: Good for all ability levels.
Bonus: If you’re planning to extend your visit to the nearby area, some additional places to consider visiting include Seneca Rocks and the Dolly Sods Wilderness. And, if the weather permits, you can also hike up to the summit of Spruce Knob via the Huckleberry Trail.
Resources:
- An Overview of Spruce Knob (Summit Post)
- Whispering Spruce Trail (All Trails)
- Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area (U.S. Forest Service)