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!
