
The cave can be very dark (and hard to see where you’re walking). To see where you’re going, it helps to have a little light from a cell phone or travel flashlight.

With so much history and natural beauty, it is hard to know where to start when hiking Rock House. Seven ‘window’ openings bring sunlight into the cave, making it even more unusual
#Hocking hills full
Not only this, the dense and rich forested areas are beautiful in full bloom or during fall when the colors change. One reason people love to visit Rock House is for the unique experience of walking ancient pathways and seeing the carvings. The Rock House was once known as ‘Robbers Roost’ because it was used as a hideout for ne’er-do-wells like bandits and bootleggers. Many hundreds of years ago, the small recess in the cave’s rear wall was once used as a baking oven for Native Americans. The letters carved in it mean ‘in the Fall, Buck Run bananas are ripe – in the frost fall, a wise man takes a wife.’ Buck Run banana is slang for the fruit of the pawpaw tree. For history and archaeology buffs, there is a carving in the rock in the form of a book. The picnic shelter stands in its place today along with numerous dated carvings in the rocks nearby. Rempel of Logan in 1835 created a 16-room hotel with livery stable, ballroom and post office. Learn more about the history of this unique trail and why so many people flock to Hocking Hills to wander the trail. The trail is popular because of its deep geological history and beauty. Waterfalls also wind their way down both sides of the rock house cave formation. This short trail comes in at 1.2 miles out and back but runs alongside some beautiful rock house cliffs. Rock House cave is located at Hocking Hills State Park, Ohio. The hike back to the Rock House is somewhat long and descends a few steep slopes, but the spectacle is well worth the trek and highly recommended for visitors! Seven window-like openings allow sunlight into the cave, and several large sandstone columns support the cave’s roof structure. Rock House sits halfway up a 150 foot Black Hand Sandstone cliff, carved out like other features of Hocking Hills by glacial melting millenia ago, and is approximately 25 feet high, 200 feet long, and 20-30 feet wide.

The Shawnee and Miami Indians that lived in the southern Ohio forests sheltered in Rock House for centuries before settlers arrived.
#Hocking hills windows
The cave is named for its close resemblance to a housing structure, with natural windows and a defensible position on the cliff. It is one of the 7 major hiking trails in Hocking Hills State Park, located in Southeastern Ohio about an hour SE of Columbus on Route 33 in Hocking County.

Rock House is one of the true gems of Hocking, as the only true cave in Hocking Hills State Park.
