The Devil’s Paw (or the Devil’s Claw) is a weathered rock formation that resembles a two-toe animal paw. The rock shouldn’t be confused with Devil’s Peak, which is a hill located near Yau Tong that gets its name from the ferocious pirates who once occupied it.

The Devil’s Paw on the other hand is located on the Chung Hom Kok peninsula near Stanley. Also, located on the peninsula is Snoopy Rock, a large boulder that resembles a dog’s head.

In fact, Chung Hom Kok peninsula is filled with weathered rock formations and a couple of relics from Hong Kong’s past. And that’s what makes it a great place to explore.

Exploring Chung Hom Kok Peninsula

Chung Hom Kok is located west of Stanley and is primarily a residential neighbourhood with a gorgeous beach.

The peninsula, located on the southern end, is an uninhabited hill (Chung Hom Shan) with plenty of rocks and rock formations. The two most well-known rock formations are the Devil’s Paw/Devil’s Claw and Snoopy Rock.

Although the peninsula is a relatively small area to explore, the trails on it aren’t maintained or marked. This means that there’s some bushwhacking, crouching under trees, and following coloured ribbons to avoid getting lost.

We highly recommend that you cover your arms and legs while hiking on the peninsula to avoid getting scratched by the thickets and bushes. We also recommend carrying adequate sun protection if it’s a particularly hot and sunny day.

So, how does one get to the peninsula, and more importantly to the Devil’s Paw and Snoopy Rock?

Starting Point

To get to the starting point for the Devil’s Paw/Devil’s Claw and Snoopy Rock hike, make your way to the Chung Hom Kok Road beach bus stop. To get here, you can take bus numbers:

• 6 or 6X (Central to Stanley)
• 65 (North Point to Stanley), or
• 66 (Central to Stanley).

Alternatively, you can take the green minibus 16A from Chai Wan, or any bus that brings you to Chung Hom Kok Road.

And in case you’re wondering, you can also walk here from Stanley Promenade. Simply take the path from the Stanley Ma Hang Park (next to Blake Pier) to Chung Hom Kok. It should take you less than 10 minutes to arrive at this location.

Locate the entrance

Once you arrive at the bus stop on the roundabout, walk straight on Chung Hom Kok Road and not on the road that goes down to the beach. The road narrows as it approaches the area next to the hill. Continue walking on the road till it widens again.

At this point, there should be a clearing between the trees, marked by colourful ribbons. Enter the trail from here and follow the cleared path and ribbons.

To The Devil’s Paw (Devil’s Claw)

The cleared section to the Devil’s Paw/Devil’s Claw is relatively short and easy, except for one tricky part.

From Chung Hom Kok Road, follow the cleared path with the ribbons markers. The initial section is quite easy with minimal clambering.

After a couple of metres, you’ll arrive at a clearing with a couple of rocks. From here, you should be able to see the Devil’s Paw right across the ridge.

Continue following the ribbons through the trees till you arrive at the next clearing. This is the tricky part that I was referring to earlier which may require you to hold onto a rock as you continue along the trail.

At this point, you should be standing on a rocky section of the hill with the Devil’s Paw straight ahead. Walk above this rocky section and be careful as you approach the rocks ahead. This area can be slightly tricky to navigate and slippery too.

Standing At The Devil’s Paw/Devil’s Claw

The Devil’s Paw resembles a two-toe claw or paw of an animal or even a pair of horns. Whatever it reminds you of, there’s no doubt that it’s a beautiful rock formation that has been shaped and eroded by wind and water for many, many years.

In fact, the Devil’s Paw brought back memories of the Remarkable Rocks on Kangaroo Island, Australia, for me but on a much smaller scale. But more than that, it reminded me of the Rhino Rock, a rock shaped like a rhino, that is located on the adjacent peninsula.

With the beautiful Chung Hom Kok Beach and bay in the background, the whole area looks very photogenic!

Here’s a quick video to give you an idea of the surroundings.

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And if you’re feeling adventurous, you can climb onto the Devil’s Paw. Simply use the eroded grooves and the attached ropes to hoist yourself up. Obviously, be careful on the top and while climbing down.

To the top of the hill

After admiring the Devil’s Paw, it’s time to continue hiking to the top of the peninsula. The section between the Devil’s Paw/Devil’s Claw and the top of the hill is perhaps the toughest part of the hike.

It’s a short distance to cover but one that requires that you sometimes use your hands. From the Devil’s Paw, continue following the ribbon markers that lead you up the hill.

Climb up this steep section slowly and carefully. Make sure you look behind to admire the views of Chung Hom Kok Beach.

You’ll know when you’re close to the top when the trail runs alongside large boulders.

More rock formations

Once you reach the top of the Chung Hom Kok peninsula, you’ll notice a large formation of rocks. The other thing you will take notice of, especially on a hot day, is the lack of shade.

From up here, the views of Chung Hom Kok and Stanley are quite beautiful. In fact, you can see all the way to Brick Hill and Ocean Park. And of course, the hill right behind the houses is The Twin Peaks.

To Snoopy Rock

To continue to Snoopy Rock, walk between the rock formation towards the end of the peninsula. The trail should be relatively easy to spot as long as you keep a lookout for the ribbon markers.

After crossing the first round of bushes and thickets, you’ll arrive at another large formation of rocks. One of the rocks on the top in fact looks like a rat.

Once again follow the trail in-between the rocks. At this point, Snoopy Rock should be visible up ahead.

Simply keep following the trail, and the colourful ribbon markers.

Snoopy Rock

To me, Snoopy Rock very much resembles the shape of a dog’s head. The snout, the forehead, and the ears.

Of course, the closer you get to the rock, the bigger the dog’s head becomes!

To Cheshire Home and Chung Hom Kok Battery

To end the trail, continue down the trail and follow the ribbon markers. Towards the end, where the trail finally descends, it does get slightly treacherous. Make sure you descend carefully.

The trail finally finishes next to Cheshire Home, a public hospital, on Chung Hom Kok Road. Also at the end of the trail is the Chung Hom Kok Battery inside the Chung Hom Kok Park. You can read more about the battery and fortifications.

From Cheshire Home, you can walk back to the bus stop at the roundabout, which was the starting point. If you complete the loop of Chung Hom Kok Peninsula, it’s roughly a 3 km hike.

End the hike

One good way to finish the hike is to end it at Stanley. As mentioned earlier, you can walk to Stanley Promenade from the roundabout. It’s approximately a 750-metre walk to Blake Pier and should take less than 10 minutes. Simply walk down the steps from behind the bus stop, and follow the signs to Ma Hang Park Entrance.

Alternatively, you can catch bus 16A from Cheshire Home towards Chai Wan. The bus makes a stop at Stanley Plaza.

Devil’s Paw and Snoopy Rock Hike

Not including the bushwhacking and walking through thickets, this is a fairly easy hike. The distance to Snoopy Rock from the bus stop is just over 1 km.

After our hike, we decided to walk down to Stanley to grab a bite and a drink. If you’re looking for things to do in Stanley, we have a post to help you out.

In fact, Stanley is also home to the Rhino Rock, another rock formation that resembles a rhinoceros! If you’re interested in learning about it, check out our guide to the Rhino Rock Hike. Or perhaps you’d be more interested in visiting a rock that resembles a shark?

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