Spruce Mountain, one of the shorter ridges in the Appalachian Ridges and Plateaus, is nevertheless the highest. Spruce Knob (4863'), a flat spot on the crest of whale-backed Spuce Mountain, is the highest point in the east between the Adirondacks of New York and Mount Rogers in far southern Virginia. While not above timberline, the stunted tree growth on this windy mountain is somewhat open, and there is also an open field south of the main knob.
Like many Southern Appalachian highpoints, a road leads tourists to the summit of Spruce Knob, but the steep gravel of this road discourages the masses. An squat observation tower allows extended views of the endless, green, hazy ridges of West Virginia and Virginia, but it is difficult to determine which of the spots on the flat, scrubby moutaintop is highest. A nature trail circles the summit, and the Huckleberry Trail leads north from Spruce Knob along the high crest of Spruce Mountain, hooking up with the Monongahela National Forest's Seneca Creek trail system. However, the mountain and its surrounding wild area in Seneca Creek to the west is just too small to offer any real opportunities for serious backpacking.
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