Honeystrand Cave

Bear den south of Ivarstead near the Alchemist’s Shack, surrounded by beehives, with a cave bear at the door and a Lockpicking skill book inside.

Honeystrand Cave is a bear den between Ivarstead and the Alchemist’s Shack. The name says it all: four beehives hang from the trees outside, bees swarm the entrance by day, and bears – who apparently read the same fairy tales we did – have moved in for the honey.

What you’ll find

  • Roaming bears outside and usually a cave bear guarding the entrance.
  • Beehives and plenty of bees, plus other alchemy ingredients around the cave and its surroundings.
  • A dead bandit inside who clearly picked the wrong cave.

Quests

  • Animal Extermination – may be the lair of a target creature.
  • Totems of Hircine – a totem may be located here.

Notable items

Tips

Expect company before you even reach the door – the cave bear on guard tends to be the main threat here. Bears hit hard, so take them one at a time and use the trees for cover if you’re an archer. Gather honeycomb and bees on your way in; between the hives and the plants around the cave, alchemists can leave with a full satchel. The skill book makes the detour worthwhile for anyone levelling Lockpicking, and the cave is close enough to the Alchemist’s Shack to combine both in one trip. Don’t ride your horse deep into the entrance and dismount – you might fall under the world.

Good to know

Internally the game calls this place “Honeystrand Grove”, though the map shows it as Honeystrand Cave.

Nearby

Closest places covered on TamrielSaga: Alchemist’s Shack, Rift Imperial Camp, Ivarstead, Ruins of Bthalft, Shroud Hearth Barrow.

Location data (hold, map position, editor ID) read from the Skyrim game files; details checked against community wiki articles and summarised in our own words.

Characters found here

Quests that lead here

Creatures you will meet

Weapons found here

Armor found here

Items found here

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Sources checked: Skyrim game files (map markers, location records, read 2026-10-11); Elder Scrolls Fandom location articles (export 2026-10-11)