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Rock House in Hocking Hills State Park
Ash Cave |
Cantwell Cliffs | Cedar Falls |
Conkles Hollow
Rock House is unique in the Hocking Hills’ region, as it is the only true cave in the park. It is a tunnel-like corridor situated midway up a 150-foot cliff of Blackhand sandstone.
According to local folklore, other not so welcome visitors frequented Rock House. Robbers, horse thieves, murderers and even bootleggers earned Rock House its reputation as “Robbers Roost.”
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This “House of Rock” has a ceiling 25 feet high while the main
corridor is 200 feet long and 20 to 30 feet wide. The cavern
was eroded out of the middle zone of the Blackhand sandstone.
The resistant upper zone forms the roof and the lower zone forms
the floor. Water leaking through a horizontal joint running
parallel to the cliff face caused the hollowing of the
corridor. This main joint or crack is very visible in the
ceiling of the Rock House. A small series of joints run north
to south at right angles to the main joint. Enlargement of this
series of joints formed the Gothic looking window-like openings
of Rock House.
Rock House has a colorful past and has long been a popular tourist
attraction. In 1835, Colonel F.F. Rempel of Logan erected a
16-room hotel complete with ballroom, livery stable and a U.S.
Post Office. The hotel stood where the picnic shelter
stands today. The beauty of Rock House is enhanced by beautiful color patterns on
the walls. Shades of brown, red and orange are due to staining
by iron compounds.