ABOUT ROCK HOUSE STATE PARK
Rock House is one of Ohio’s most popular natural history attractions and is unique to the area because it’s the only true cave in Hocking Hills State Park. The cave is named for its close resemblance of a house and has been used as such for centuries. It sits halfway up a 150-foot Black Hand sandstone cliff and is approximately 25 feet high, 200 feet long, and 20-30 feet wide. Visitors to Rock House will notice 7 window-like openings that allow sunlight to travel into the cave, along with several large sandstone columns that support the cave’s roof.
History of Rock House State Park
Rock House has long been a local attraction, dating well before the establishment of Hocking Hills State Park. A number of dated carvings exist in the cave, confirming this long-standing popularity. Archeological evidence suggests that various groups of people have used the cave as shelter.
Native Americans inhabited the cave and constructed small ovens in the rock walls and dug water troughs in the cave’s floor. During the 1800s, robbers, bandits, and bootleggers hid in the cave, leading many local residents to refer to it as “Robber’s Roost”. In 1835, Logan, Ohio businessman F.F. Rempel built a 16-room hotel near Rock House attempting to capitalize on the popularity of the cave.
The Rock House Trail
is an accessible trail that gives a fantastic view of cliffs, rock formations and the best of Hocking Hills State Park. The reward for your efforts is Rock House itself, an amazing sandstone cave set into a cliff in Hocking Hills.
The Rock House is the only “real” cave in the area. Others are recess caves carved out of the side of the Blackhand sandstone cliffs dotted around the area. The Rock House is a tunnel-like cave that stretches for ages, with windows and a door too. It was carved out by water millennia ago and has been used as shelter and a place to live by Native Americans and early settlers.
The Rock House Trail itself is suitable for all experienced hikers with decent fitness levels. The way to Rock House is fairly straightforward and flat, but the return leg has a few climbs. The trail ends at the formation, not inside the Rock House itself, but it’s simple to climb down to walk inside the cave and experience the play of light on the sandstone and walk where people have walked and lived for thousands of years.
The Rock House itself is 25 feet high, 200 feet long and varies between 20 and 30 feet wide. There is plenty of light, thanks to the “windows” that have been carved out of the rock under fissures and the plentiful light coming in at either end. Blackhand sandstone has a love, soft quality that adds an almost ethereal quality to it, making it ideal for cave walking.
The area gets busy in high season so be prepared to share the Rock House Trail with lots of other people. Alternatively, come during the week or out of season if you prefer to have the space and quiet to explore.
The trail is well worn and clear, but be aware of potential dangers if you go off-trail. There are cliffs, gorges and steep slopes everywhere so be careful. Hocking Hills State Park authorities ask you to stick to the trails so as not to damage the natural beauty that makes the park so wonderful. We would echo that.
If you’re visiting Hocking Hills and need somewhere to stay, our very own Old Man’s Cave Chalets is ideal. We are ideally located, a short drive from everywhere and offer a high quality of accommodation for a very reasonable price. Our log cabins and romantic cottages are the perfect place to begin and end a day of exploration around our natural wonderland.
Visit our bookings page to make a reservation!
