Inside The Cave Suites At Honey Rock Landing: Where The Orchard Meets The Earth

We arrive at Honey Rock Landing in the soft light of late afternoon, rows of orchard trees stretching out between Delta and Grand Junction. It’s quiet in the way that instantly shifts your nervous system — the kind of place where you take a deeper breath without realizing it. Then you see them: Cave Suites tucked directly into the hillside, nearly hidden until you’re right up on them.

A STAY BUILT INTO STONE

Built into a shelf of Entrada Sandstone, the suites feel both grounded and surprisingly spacious. Upstairs, two beds create a cozy sleeping area that can fit a family. Downstairs, there’s a full kitchen, a generous breakfast bar, living space and front terrace designed for lingering. The high-ceiling bathroom is complete with a soaking tub and may be the most convincing argument for a slow morning.

But Honey Rock Landing isn’t just about where you sleep. It’s about inviting people into a way of life that owners Colby and Leslie Barrett describe as “prosocial farming.”

“We purchased the farm at Honey Rock Landing and began implementing several initiatives that are good for the land and good for our community,” Leslie shares. “Some of them aren’t as good for the bottom line, but we believe our efforts in agritourism will help us make ‘prosocial farming’ more economically sustainable.”

That vision shows up everywhere: regenerative organic growing practices, solar panels, electrified farm equipment, partnerships with Food Bank of the Rockies and Colorado Canyons Association, and Colorado Juice Company, a business they launched to reduce food waste. But one of their biggest goals is simply getting people onto the farm.

“This is our most basic inspiration for the Cave Suites,” Leslie says. “Picking your own food is such a magical experience, you can’t help but invite other people to share in that experience. We wanted to invite people to really experience the magic of Honey Rock Landing by resting, observing and participating on the farm.”

Photos by Kim Fuller

WHY THE FOOD TASTES DIFFERENT HERE

Staying here reframes how you think about food. “When people really experience the fruits of a small, local, organic farm, suddenly the seasonal farmers market pear is so much more appealing than the tasteless grocery store strawberries imported from the southern hemisphere,” Leslie explains. “The bruised peach is coveted, because you know it’s ripe … you appreciate that some variation in size, color and texture just means the food is real.”

Even if food isn’t your main motivation, the setting alone is reason to stay. The farm sits along the Gunnison River, bordered by the Dominguez–Escalante National Conservation Area, with biking trails and raft access directly from the property.

“The stretch of river between our farm and the Bridgeport takeout is beautiful,” Leslie says, noting that fruit harvest weeks are the highlight of the year — though spring blossoms, cozy fall stays and even winter visits inside the passive-solar greenhouse make this a true four-season destination.

The cave concept itself came from practical beginnings. “We noticed a shelf of Entrada Sandstone peeking out from underneath a desert hill bordering our blocks of fruit trees,” Leslie says. “We decided to try blasting into the stone to create a geothermally regulated cold storage facility. And it was beautiful! So we kept going.”

A PLACE STILL BECOMING

That first experiment evolved into three Cave Suites that sleep six, plus an event space and farm store — with plans underway for an entire cave house inspired by the Berber house and Turkish hammam, complete with an underground pool. Along the way, they refined their process, using a giant rock saw to preserve the integrity of the stone.

“Colby is a geotechnical engineer, and we employed experienced miners for the blasting, so it wasn’t just farmers hurling C4,” Leslie laughs. “It was more of an educated adventure.”

For guests, the experience changes with the calendar. During the week, stays are quiet and self-guided, with farm-fresh foods provided to cook on your own. On summer weekends, the farm comes alive with tours, farm-to-table dinners, movement and mindfulness classes, star-gazing, bonfires, cooking and gardening workshops, u-picks and bouquet making.

Still in their finishing stages, the Cave Suites feel like a discovery — a place just coming into its own. And that sense of intention, of building something both beautiful and meaningful, is what lingers long after you leave.

“We feel like Honey Rock Landing hits a tourism sweet spot of beauty, sustainability, good food and a variety of memorable experiences in nature,” says Leslie. “Our hope is to host people from all over the world for a few days they’ll remember forever. If we happen to revolutionize the way some people interact with our food systems, that’s the cherry on top.”

Originally published in the spring 2026 issue of Spoke+Blossom.