Spruce Knob Observation Tower

At 4,863 feet, Spruce Knob is West Virginia's highest peak — and the highest point across the entire Allegheny range. The stone and steel observation tower that sits atop the knob adds a two-story vantage above the treeline, where the Whispering Spruce Trail, a half-mile loop on a gentle graveled path, circles the summit and connects the tower with open views across forested Allegheny ridges in every direction. Interpretive signs along the trail cover the high-country geology, vegetation, and wildlife. There's no entrance fee, and basic facilities — vault toilets, picnic tables, and a vehicle parking area — are in place at the summit.

The summit environment is genuinely alpine for the mid-Atlantic: strong westerly winds are a constant, and one-sided red spruce, bent and deformed by those prevailing winds, cling to the high rocky ridges alongside low blueberry and huckleberry plants. That same exposure means weather can shift quickly. The access roads are not maintained in winter, and snow can render them impassable from roughly mid-autumn through spring — plan accordingly and check conditions before you ride.

The recommended approach from the Seneca Rocks area follows US-33 west and then turns onto Briery Gap Road (FR-112), which remains paved but is narrow and winding on the climb up. A loop pairing the high point with Seneca Rocks via US-33 gives riders two very different West Virginia landmarks in a single day.