Backbone Mountain

Backbone Mountain is a prominent Allegheny ridge stretching about 39 miles across West Virginia and Maryland, where it forms part of the Eastern Continental Divide and includes Hoye-Crest, Maryland’s highest point at 3,360 feet. Its significance is rooted in watersheds: in Maryland the ridge separates headwaters flowing toward different major river systems, while farther south both sides drain into the Black Fork. The mountain also holds notable natural and historic sites, including Hoye-Crest, old-growth Crabtree Woods, and the Olson Observation Tower, linked to West Virginia’s early fire-tower system and later conservation work. Crossed by major U.S. highways, it is unusually accessible for a high Appalachian divide.

Thomas, West Virginia · United States