West Virginia Highpoints
Our second high pointing trip of the year took us to West Virginia where we were able to conquer the highpoints in Maryland, West Virginia and Pennsylvania - all of which are located near each other. None of these were very hard (you can drive to the top of two of them) but they took us to an area of the country we had not previously visited.
The map above shows how close the three highpoints are to each other.
Canaan Valley Resort was our home base for this trip and was hosting the annual high pointer “Konvention” where 280 of us met.
Canaan Valley is a large state park with an extensive trail system, but many of the trails were overgrown and muddy, so we opted to stay on the roads instead.
Canaan Valley, in the high Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia, has one of the most distinctive landscapes in the Appalachian Mountains. Unlike the narrow ridges and steep valleys that characterize much of West Virginia, Canaan Valley is a broad, high-elevation basin surrounded by mountains.
Our first highpoint was Backbone Mountain (Hoye-Crest) in Maryland at 3360 feet. The trail begins in West Virginia, climbs over Backbone Mountain, and then crosses into Maryland. The round-trip hike to the summit is approximately 2.5 miles, with about 700 feet of elevation gain.
A view from the top of Hoye-Crest.
All of the state highpoints are marked, even if they are not actual mountains.
Our next highpoint was Mount Davis in Pennsylvania at 3213 feet. Although this highpoint can be driven to, there is a nice trail network surrounding it..
A view from the tower on top of Mt. Davis.
Many of the highpoints have informational displays describing the history of the area along with a bench provided by the highpoint foundation.
The actual highpoint was on top of this Boulder.
We went hiking in Blackwater Falls State Park, which is about a half hour from Canaan Valley. This waterfall is easy to access and extremely popular.
The phrase "Almost Heaven" has been associated with West Virginia since 1971, when John Denver's song "Take Me Home, Country Roads" opened with that lyric. Although the state used that slogan for many years, in 2018 the tourism office adopted it as its official brand.
The Blackwater River below the falls.
Elakala Falls is another popular hiking spot in the park.
Spruce Knob is the highest point in West Virginia, rising to 4,863 feet atop Spruce Mountain in the Monongahela National Forest. It is also the highest peak in the Allegheny Mountains, offering some of the finest panoramic views in the central Appalachians.
Unlike the sharp, rocky summits found in the Rockies or New England, Spruce Knob is a broad, windswept dome covered with a unique mix of red spruce forest, heath barrens, and sandstone boulder fields.
Spruce Knob was our 36th highpoint together.
All of the high pointers at the Konvention visited Spruce Knob for a Watermelon and Pizza party.
Our selfie on top of Spruce Knob.
There are several nice trails crossing Spruce Knob, winding through lush Forrests.
Seneca Rocks is one of West Virginia's most iconic natural landmarks and one of the premier rock-climbing destinations in the eastern United States. Rising nearly 900 feet above the North Fork of the South Branch Potomac River, the spectacular quartzite fin dominates the surrounding valley.
Leaving West Virginia and heading back to North Carolina.
