The Meadow Branch Coalfield is a coalfield

Coalfield

A coalfield is an area of certain uniform characteristics where coal is mined. The criteria for determining the approximate boundary of a coalfield are geographical and cultural, in addition to geological...

 located in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia

Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia

The Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia is a narrow stretch of territory in the northeast of the state, bordering Maryland and Virginia, United States. The Eastern Panhandle Board of Realtors and other local civic organizations consider only the three Easternmost counties, Jefferson, Berkeley and...

 along the Berkeley

Berkeley County, West Virginia

Berkeley County is a county located in the Eastern Panhandle region of the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of 2010, the population is 104,169, making it the second-most populous county in West Virginia, behind Kanawha...

 and Morgan

Morgan County, West Virginia

Morgan County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of 2010, it's population was 17,541. Its county seat is Berkeley Springs. The county is one of three in Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area...

 county lines.

It is the only anthracite coalfield in West Virginia, unlike the bituminous coal

Bituminous coal

Bituminous coal or black coal is a relatively soft coal containing a tarlike substance called bitumen. It is of higher quality than lignite coal but of poorer quality than Anthracite...

 found in the rest of the state. It has not seen any active mining in many decades. However as early as 1798 anthracite from Berkeley County and bituminous coal from Mineral County

Mineral County, West Virginia

Mineral County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is part of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010, the population was 28,212. Its county seat is Keyser.-Ancient history:...

 were the sources of coal supplying the government's Harpers Ferry Armory

Harpers Ferry Armory

Harpers Ferry Armory, more formally known as the United States Armory and Arsenal at Harpers Ferry, was the second federal armory commissioned by the United States government located in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia , the first federal armory being the Springfield Armory located in Springfield,...

. Berkeley County was also a source of coal during the American Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

. The last mining occurred in the early 20th century; the anthracite in this coalfield is difficult to mine and does not occur in the continuous seams more typical of e.g. the northeast Pennsylvania Coal Region

Coal Region

The Coal Region is a term used to refer to an area of Northeastern Pennsylvania in the central Appalachian Mountains comprising Lackawanna, Luzerne, Columbia, Carbon, Schuylkill, Northumberland, and the extreme northeast corner of Dauphin counties....

, making it not cost effective to mine.

The area today comprises recreational areas including the Tuscarora Trail

Tuscarora Trail

The Tuscarora Trail is a long-distance hiking trail that is under development. It splits off from the Appalachian Trail in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, passes through West Virginia and Maryland, then rejoins the Appalachian Trail near Marysville, Pennsylvania...

 and Sleepy Creek Wildlife Management Area

Sleepy Creek Wildlife Management Area

Sleepy Creek Wildlife Management Area, is located near Berkeley Springs, West Virginia in Morgan County and near Martinsburg, West Virginia in Berkeley County. Sleepy Creek WMA is located on , mostly covered with mixed oak and pine forest, although about are covered with mixed hardwoods...

. Abandoned mines can be found near the Tuscarora Trail.