Rising above the forested slopes of State Game Lands 211 in Lebanon County, Boxcar Rocks is one of the region’s most intriguing natural landmarks.
This unusual rock formation, also known as High Rocks or the Chinese Wall, features a long line of stacked conglomerate boulders perched high above Stony Valley.
Though the site feels remote and wild, it remains a surprisingly accessible destination for hikers of many skill levels.
On a foggy early-March morning, I set out to explore the towering boulders of Boxcar Rocks—here’s my firsthand trip report from that memorable visit.
Directions to Boxcar Rocks
The parking area and trailhead for the short hike to Boxcar Rocks is located along Goldmine Road, at GPS cordinates 40.54457, -76.53565.
The parking area is a large gravel lot, capable of holding at least a dozen vehicles.
From the parking area, walk around the gate and follow the forest road for approximately 400 yards, until you see the obvious user trail pictured below departing from the road on your right side.
Follow this user trail through the hemlocks for another 300 yards to the base of Boxcar Rocks, at GPS coordinates 40.54438, -76.52968.
Once you reach the base of Boxcar Rocks, the formation stretches out for several hundred yards in either direction.
History of Boxcar Rocks
The name “Boxcar Rocks” dates to the 1940s, when Lebanon County politician Harry Lentz reportedly described the scattered boulders as looking like a “railroad wreck of boxcars” during the construction of nearby Gold Mine Road.
Long before that, local legend holds that Native Americans used the high vantage point as a campsite and signaling location.
The rocks themselves are part of Sharp Ridge, one of several ridges running through northern Lebanon County and the surrounding region. Geologists believe the formation dates back more than 300 million years.
It consists of a quartz-pebble conglomerate known as Pottsville conglomerate, named for the nearby city of Pottsville in Schuylkill County.
Sediments washed from ancient mountains near present-day Reading hardened into rock layers, later uplifted by tectonic collisions and sculpted by erosion into the stacked blocks seen at Boxcar Rocks in modern times.
Today, Boxcar Rocks offers both a fascinating glimpse into Pennsylvania’s geologic past and a memorable hiking destination in Lebanon County.
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26 Must-See Pennsylvania Rock Formations highlights more than two dozen of the most interesting and unusual rock formations in the Keystone State, each offering a chance to experience Pennsylvania’s fascinating geology up close.
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