MAC and Partners Continue to Advocate for Access at Harpers Ferry

Access, Harpers Ferry /

Last week, Mid Atlantic Climbers and our partners at the Access Fund, American Alpine Club, and Outdoor Alliance DMV sent a letter to Harpers Ferry National Historical Park urging park management, with the involvement of the public and representative organizations, to explore additional solutions to a permanent parking closure at Maryland Heights that prioritize visitor […]

MAC and Partners Continue to Advocate for Access at Harpers Ferry Read More »

Speak Up: Harpers Ferry Proposes Permanent Parking Closure at Maryland Heights

2 Comments / Access, Harpers Ferry /

This month, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park proposed to permanently close the Maryland Heights parking areas, citing safety issues from illegally parked cars along Sandy Hook Road at busy times when legal parking was full. These parking areas have been temporarily closed since March 2020 due to COVID-19 safety protocols. The public can submit comments

Speak Up: Harpers Ferry Proposes Permanent Parking Closure at Maryland Heights Read More »

Shenandoah Park Implements Old Rag Ticketing Pilot Program

Access, Old-Rag-Ticket Program /

In August of 2021, Shenandoah National Park released a proposal to make several changes for visitors: 1) Increase the campground nightly fee from $15-20 to $30, 2) Begin charging a fee for backcountry camping, and 3) Establish a pilot program for Old Rag visitor access.   In January, the park officially announced the final details of

Shenandoah Park Implements Old Rag Ticketing Pilot Program Read More »

Catoctin Trail Plan is an Opportunity to Improve Access to Popular Boulders

2 Comments / Access, Catoctin Mountain Park /

Last year, Catoctin Mountain Park began developing a plan to enhance the Park’s trail system and visitor experiences, while balancing recreation with natural and cultural resource protection. Since 2016, when Catoctin Mountain Park restored bouldering access, Mid Atlantic Climbers has been working with National Park Service staff to steward climbing areas and improve the climbing

Catoctin Trail Plan is an Opportunity to Improve Access to Popular Boulders Read More »

Access Update: Catoctin Mountain Park Bouldering

3 Comments / Access, Catoctin Mountain Park, climbing /

Since 2016 when Catoctin Mountain Park restored bouldering access, Mid Atlantic Climbers has been working with National Park Service staff to steward climbing areas and develop educational materials for the climbing community. In recent years, Park resource experts have expressed concerns about the impact of climbing on the sensitive natural resources the Park seeks to

Access Update: Catoctin Mountain Park Bouldering Read More »

Help shape the future of Harpers Ferry climbing

Access, Harpers Ferry, raptors /

Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, located on the border of Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia, is important to providing access to the outdoors for the DC metro region. It is a significant climbing resource in the mid-Atlantic, providing unique opportunities for multi-pitch traditional climbing, top roping, and bouldering. Mid Atlantic Climbers (MAC), Access Fund (AF),

Help shape the future of Harpers Ferry climbing Read More »

We want to hear from you: Incorporating justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion

Uncategorized /

Throughout 2020, MAC’s board continued discussions about how the organization can better incorporate justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) into our goals of stewardship, education, and ensuring climbing access. We recognize that our current leadership team would be better equipped to address this issue with additional perspectives at the table. The mid-Atlantic climbing community is

We want to hear from you: Incorporating justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion Read More »

Coming Together: Stewardship and the Climbing Community in the Midst of COVID-19

Adopt-a-Crag, Guest blog posts /

  Blue paint is hard. So is black. Don’t get the paint remover on your skin, it burns. After a certain point, expect diminishing returns. Is the paint coming off? Or are we just making it brighter in cleaning off one layer at a time? Climbers are generally bullheaded people, and none of this seemed

Coming Together: Stewardship and the Climbing Community in the Midst of COVID-19 Read More »

Scroll to Top