Maintop Mountain rises in Nelson County, Virginia, on a Blue Ridge spur within George Washington National Forest. In a rugged landscape of steep ridges and narrow stream valleys, it stands in the Tye River watershed, with its slopes feeding Mill Creek, the South Fork of the Tye, Shoe Creek, the Piney River, and drainage toward the North Fork of the Piney River. The mountain is especially known for Spy Rock, a spur near the summit with broad views that is reached by a steep hike from Montebello. The Appalachian Trail has crossed the summit, although a planned 2009 relocation aimed to move it to a less steep route below the top.