Natural treasures like Ash Cave and Old Man’s Cave get a lot of attention in Hocking Hills, but there is a destination accessible by permit only that allows hikers to experience a similar landscape without crowds and unchanged over centuries.
A 281-acre preserve located in Hocking County, Honeycomb Rocks shelters old-growth forests and stunningly beautiful rock formations that are some of the most iconic of Hocking Hills.
Spanning the preserve is a deep ravine carved out by the stream that originates just above Salt Peter Cave, a large rock shelter that is the preserve’s most signature feature. Soaring Rock, Sentinel Wall, and Boulder Fields are some of the other highlights.
The Honeycomb Rocks Trail stretches for two miles in a loop that winds past sandstone outcroppings and through a slot canyon. Much of the trail lies under the cover of a towering old-growth forest dominated by oaks and hemlocks.
Honeycomb Rocks Trail includes a spur leading to a rock formation on the northern boundary of the preserve called Paradise. The spur’s distance out and back is included in the total mileage.
Hikers are asked not to venture beyond the trail’s end at Paradise so they don’t trespass into Camp Wyandot, which is a privately operated children’s summer camp.
Hikers at Honeycomb Rocks will encounter dangerous and potentially life-threatening cliffs near the trail route. Stay strictly on the trail and be sure to keep children carefully supervised and close by.
To apply for a permit, visit https://www.arcofappalachia.org/honeycomb-rocks.
