Reclaim

The climbing sites in Mocanaqua, PA show how an area can be successfully reclaimed for good even after environmentally destructive practices.  After the collapse of the anthracite coal mine industry in Northeast Pennsylvania, mining areas were all closed with no use left for the land.  The cliffs behind the town of Mocanaqua were filled with the coal slag of both strip and tunnel mines.  Fortunately those piles did not fully cover all of the rock and can today be accessed for climbing.  The land was bought by the Earth Conservancy to protect this land from being developed.  There is even hope for the future with plans of coal slag removal in the area, allowing the land to return to its former glory and uncovering another possible 30' of rock face.  Moc has 5 main climbing areas with severeal hidden gems with in a few miles, along with mountain biking/hiking trails for a multiuse recreational area.