Rock House is the only true cave in Hocking Hills  State Park. Water slowly eroded away Black Hand Sandstone, creating the cave. Sandstone is a very porous substance and much more susceptible to erosion than many other types of rocks. Rock House is approximately twenty-five feet high, two hundred feet long, and twenty to thirty feet wide. Seven "windows," openings that allow sunlight into the cave, exist. Several sandstone columns also support Rock House's roof. Rock House received its name for two reasons. First, the cave does resemble a house, with its roof, the supporting stone pillars, and its "windows." Secondly, various groups have used the cave as shelter for thousands of years.

Archaeological evidence has shown that Indians inhabited the cave. The natives constructed small ovens in the rock walls to cook meals. They also created troughs in the cave's floor, which collected water, providing inhabitants with a water supply. During the nineteenth century, robbers and bandits supposedly hid in the Rock House. Because of this, many local residents referred to Rock House as "Robbers' Roost."

In 1924, the State of Ohio purchased 146 acres of land in the Hocking Hills. This purchase formally established Hocking Hills State Park. The State of Ohio eventually purchased additional land, including Rock House. First owned and operated by the Ohio Department of Forestry, in 1949, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the Ohio Division of Parks assumed control of Hocking Hills State Park. Rock House was a popular tourist attraction for nearly a century before the State of Ohio established Hocking Hills State Park. In 1835, Logan, Ohio businessman F. F. Rempel built a sixteen-room hotel a short distance away from Rock House. The hotel included a ballroom, stables, and even a post office.