The stream is known for its scenic valley, the Hafenlohrtal, and the eponymous nature preserve providing a habitat for many endangered plants and animals.

However, the Hafenlohr still feeds numerous ponds supporting fish farms and the forestry business of the nearby Fürstlich Löwensteinscher Park is located in the valley.

It then continues through the Lichtenauer Grund, passes several small ponds, and reaches the "Nature Preserve Mainzer Eck", where the valley starts to meander.

The Hafenlohr then passes several forester's lodges, Alte and Neue Diana, Einsiedel, Lindenfurterhof, and goes on into an unspoilt natural valley bordered on the south by the Fürstlich Löwensteinscher Park [de], a large, privately-owned woodland.

At that point lies the youth camping site Windheim of the Main-Spessart district and the Hafenlohr is joined by its largest tributary by far, the Wachenbach (also known as Wagenbach) coming from the southwest.

It then passes several small ponds fed by water from the Hafenlohr, crosses the town of Windheim as the valley widens, and then flows past the solitary hill Achtelsberg (235 m), formerly located within a meander of the river Main.

The Hafenlohr and its tributaries drain an area of around 147 square kilometres of mainly wooded hills and partially cleared valleys of the region known as Spessart.

[7] 18 species of birds that are on the IUCN Red List can be found in the Hafenlohrtal, including the kingfisher which nests in the valley and the European dipper.

[5] After 1945, the irrigated meadows lost their economic importance and were planted with spruce monoculture, a tree inappropriate to the local environment, on a significant scale, especially downriver of Erlenfurt.

The former's sphere of influence extended via his holdings in Aschaffenburg into the area, whilst the latter had acquired the properties of the Benedictine abbey Kloster Neustadt am Main in the late 10th century.

[11] Until the end of the 19th century, firewood from the Spessart was rafted down the stream (which was dammed for the purpose in places) to Hafenlohr where it was loaded on ships.

[17] Today, tourism plays a role in the local economy, with several establishments in the Hafenlohrtal providing gastronomical services including accommodation, such as the Schlosshotel Rothenbuch, Gasthaus im Hochspessart and Hoher Knuck.

[5] The nature preserve Hafenlohrtal was originally off-limits to visitors but since 2004 has been opened up by a looping path of around 3 km that includes a boardwalk leading into the valley and crossing the stream on a small wooden bridge.