After leaving Maryland's Backbone Mountain, I headed south past a few ski resorts and stopped at the Seneca Rocks visitor's center. I was running ahead of schedule, so I hiked up the 1.3 mile trail to a lookout deck on the Rocks. Seneca Rocks is definitely a worthwhile detour if you've got an hour or so.

Spruce Knob's lookout tower.

Followed the winding gravel road to the Spruce Knob summit. The weather was initially calm, but soon the wind picked up. However, the clouds I'd had in Maryland and Pennsylvania had moved on, leaving a clear and bright late afternoon. A few other people drove up and walked around the highpoint. First highpoint today with other people and no deer. I found the USGS marker at the south-east corner of the lookout tower, then left for the Seneca Lake campgrounds (9 miles away by gravel road).

Spent a cold night at the campground, including another forecast which included the phrase that always seems to apply to my trips: "at the higher elevations". Early to bed, and a long drive back to Indiana tomorrow.

View south of the tower

Seneca Rocks, great place to stop on the way to Spruce Knob

From the Seneca Rocks lookout platform.