Rock House

Incredible!

The hike in and out isn't that hard but be prepared to sweat a little on the way back to the parking garage lot.

Once you get to the Rock House you will be captivated by the views looking out the windows.

I could spend all day here.

Spectacular!

I would highly suggest going early. About an hour before sunrise so you have time to get there and watch the sun rise from inside the cave. You'll find the sunbeams coming in during some foggy morning during the fall if you're lucky. Bring a hoodie in the fall, but wear a long sleeve during summer because you'll be cold inside the cave. You'll enjoy it.

First time hiking rock house and absolutely loved it! Very stunning with great picture opportunities and very easy to follow! Only downfall was the bathroom wasn't the greatest and would recommend using the restroom if needed prior to coming to this trail.

Most beautiful, yet least favorite hike at Hocking Hills due to the mass amount of people (specifically children) running around unattended in a dangerous location. Not the parks fault, but just something to consider.

We had my dog, and I was anxious the entire time we were there. This was the most treacherous (high/rocky) hike, so I was shocked to see the amount of small children and dogs there! It meant that we didn't really get to enjoy our hike or the rock formations because we were just trying to get around everyone. There was a large tree down due to a storm but we were able to walk around. I think most people thought this trail was closed due to the down tree, so I couldn't imagine this place with even more people.

This is a nice area for a hike! It seems like it definitely can get pretty busy here on a nice day. The bathrooms at the beginning of the trail are what you'd expect them to be in a park...if that says anything. I wouldn't recommend bringing kids on this trail but that's just me! Very pretty all around.

Oh what a beautiful park!
The walks weren't difficult, but on a sunny June Saturday, it was pretty packed with people.
Spring greens were vibrant and the water gorgeous jade colors. I couldn't stop taking pictures.

Wow. That's all I can say. Moderate hike with a beautiful cave. We absolutely enjoyed ourselves. Some rogue pigeons call it home. Tons of photo pops.

Convenient parking. Quick hike to the beautiful rock house. Lovely views and not super crowded on this date. Would recommend to go check it out. Wear good hiking shoes and mosquito repellent. Round trip approximately 1 hour. Not lots to do but to go see it and turn around. It was still worth it though.

The hike to Rock House within Hocking Hills State Park is beautiful. We visited during the early spring, so green buds were just emerging on the branches, and the birds were chirping and the sun was shining through the rock crevasses. The hike takes you down rock staircases and close to waterfalls. It's gorgeous and showcases Ohio at its very best.

I think I would have appreciated all of this beauty more if I didn't have children with me. Don't get me wrong: I love hiking with my children, but the hike to Rock House is no joke. It's not super strenuous, but it takes you very close to the edge of cliffs that drop many (many, many) feet down. There are multiple large signs with red lettering at the beginning of the hike saying that you need to keep children close to you, and pets on a short leash. And then the sign gives you a phone number to call in case of emergency. The red signs advise, nay demand, that you stay on the path for your own safety. When I saw those signs, I almost told my family that we were heading back to the car. But we pressed on, and I'm glad that we did because we were treated to some amazing scenery.

But please be aware: If you have children who like to just dash away willy-nilly (so, uh, most young kids) or children who don't listen when you tell them to just stay on the path, then you might want to skip this hike. Because it will cause you more stress than necessary.

The Rock House area can get crowded, because people want to take pictures in it. The trail is one-way, so once you start, you need to continue until you get to the end. But it's not a very long trail -- a little more than a mile, which took us about 30 minutes to complete.

I'm a huge fan of Hocking Hills and I have tell you a little secret... Rock House is one of my favorite trails in the region. I can't even tell you how many times I've hiked it over the past decade but I can tell you that if you go now, it's a lot more restricted than it used to be.

Rock House is exactly as it sounds. A natural cave-like structure on the side of a gorge. There are two ways to get there but due to COVID-19 its currently set up for one-way traffic. I always park in the lower lot so my car is close by once I finish the trail. That means you need to hike up to the second parking lot to get to the main entrance. From there you travel down a very steep staircase and pop out about half way down the gorge, right alongside the tall rock structure. Back in the day there weren't any barricades or anything but there sure is now.

You can enter the "rock house" from a couple different entry points, all rather narrow. Once inside it is extremely dark and the temperature is certainly lower. It echoes really loud too. Once friends and I brought a djembe and guitar and made music inside.

If you continue the trail beyond the caves you'll discover an old bridge and a few other neat places you can climb to. It's fun to imagine just how old this area is and I do like to read about it whenever I come across any signage.

At the end of the day, I'd love to keep this spot my little secret but honestly, it's out. While it's never as busy as Old Man's Cave, it's still at the top of spots to visit while in Hocking Hills. Five stars all the way!