Spruce Mountain is the highest elevation ridge of the Allegheny Mountains. While just 16 miles in length, it contains several peaks over 4,500 in elevation, including Horse Rock, Spruce Mountain, Picea Benchmark, and Spruce Knob at 4,863 feet. Spruce Knob is the highest point along the Allegheny and the highest point in West Virginia.
The summit of Spruce Knob is covered in a dense spruce forest, a relic boreal forest environment similar to those found in northern New England. High west winds near the summit have gnarled the spruce there like Krummholz, flagged with limbs only on their leeward (eastward) side. It offers views of Germany Valley and North Fork Mountain to the east, and the Allegheny Plateau to the west.
Nearby is Spruce Knob Lake, the highest elevation lake in the state, and Seneca Creek which contains several waterfalls and meadows.
