Whispering Spruce Trail
Whispering Spruce Trail is a 0.6-mile trail in Monongahela National Forest, West Virginia. The Forest Service rates it trail class 4, highly developed. It is open to hiking.
Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Monongahela National Forest official page carries current alerts and closure orders.
Map
One end Other endLine simplified to about 100 metres. Basemap from the USGS National Map.
| One end | 38.7020° N, 79.5314° W · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 38.6996° N, 79.5326° W · Directions ↗ |
The ends are the two ends of the longest connected chain of segments. The record does not say which is the usual start.
The trail
| Length | 0.6 miles |
| Trail class | 4, highly developed |
| Type | land trail |
| Surface | imported compacted material |
| Typical grade | 0-5 percent |
| Typical tread width | 36-48 inches |
| Motor vehicles | Closed to all motorized use year-round |
| Accessibility | Not evaluated |
| National designation | National Recreation Trail or other national designation |
| Special management area | NRA - National Recreation Area |
| Trail numbers | 567 |
| Forest | Monongahela National Forest (unit 0921) |
| States | West Virginia |
| Detail published | management level, with uses |
Values are the set across all segments. Class 1 is minimally developed and class 5 is fully developed. Grade and width are the forest's typical values, not measured extremes.
Weather by month
Allowed uses
| Hiking | Allowed year-round |
A use is listed when the Forest Service records it as managed, accepted or discouraged on any segment. Discouraged still means legal. Uses marked restricted are left out. Where the forest publishes a Motor Vehicle Use Map, that map governs motorized use.
Trailheads
The Forest Service recreation layer records no trailhead within a third of a mile of this trail's line. Many trails start from a road pullout or another trail with no trailhead record. The forest's recreation pages list the trailheads it does publish.
Trails nearby
Camping nearby
Campsite Atlas cards carry site counts and booking links from Recreation.gov. Forest Service cards come from the recreation layer and link the agency page.
Explore
Historic places nearby
Guidebooks for Monongahela National Forest and West Virginia
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
- Five-Star Trails: West Virginia's Monongahela National ForestJohnny Molloy, 2022Find at Bookshop.org
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How long is the Whispering Spruce Trail?
The Forest Service records 0.6 miles under this name in Monongahela National Forest, the sum of 1 segment.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the Whispering Spruce Trail?
Hiking is allowed. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Where does the Whispering Spruce Trail start?
The line begins at 38.7020° N, 79.5314° W and ends at 38.6996° N, 79.5326° W. No Forest Service trailhead is recorded within a third of a mile of it. The record does not say which end is the usual start.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Whispering Spruce Trail in a wilderness area?
No. The trail line does not cross any polygon in the National Wilderness Preservation System layer.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Where can I camp near the Whispering Spruce Trail?
Gatewood Group (3 mi), Spruce Knob Lake Campground (3 mi) and Spruce Knob Lake (3.7 mi) are within five miles of the trail. The camping section lists all 3 with site counts and booking links.
Source: Campsite Atlas
How developed is the Whispering Spruce Trail?
Trail class 4, which the Forest Service describes as highly developed. Class 1 is a minimal, unimproved route and class 5 is fully developed, often paved.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
How steep and how wide is the Whispering Spruce Trail?
The typical grade is 0-5 percent. The typical tread is 36-48 inches wide.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Whispering Spruce Trail a national trail?
Yes. The record marks it as a National Recreation Trail.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the Whispering Spruce Trail?
Monongahela National Forest, Forest Service unit 0921. The trail is in West Virginia.
Source
This page is built from 1 segment named Whispering Spruce Trail in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0921. Wilderness overlap is tested against the National Wilderness Preservation System layer from Wilderness Connect. Trailheads and Forest Service campgrounds come from the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer. Data refreshed November 1, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.