Rock House

Rock House is the only true cave in the Hocking Hills State Park. The product of erosion, Rock House is situated midway up a 150 foot cliff of Black Hand sandstone. Once you arrive at the actual Rock House visitors will notice 7 window-like openings that allow sunlight into the cave and several large sandstone columns that support the cave’s roof. This is a favorite for children.

Rock House received its name because the cave resembles a house. Also, there is archaeological evidence showing that various groups 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. Legend has it that during the 1800s, robbers and bootleggers hid in the Rock House, leading many local residents to refer to it as “Robbers’ Roost.” Inside the Rock House are two “turpentine stills,” left over from the Indian days. The stills are small recesses, or depressions, hand carved on the top surfaces of two sandstone shelves, each with a small channel leading over to the lip of the shelf.

There are dated carvings in the rock which attest to this long-standing popularity. In 1835, Logan, Ohio businessman F.F. Rempel built a 16-room hotel a ¼ mile from Rock House. The hotel included a ballroom, livery stable, and a U.S. post office.

Rock House is located on St. Rt. 374. The challenging trail is about a 1/2 mile long and takes 30 to 45 minutes to traverse.