This Ohio Cave Airbnb Is One of the Most Booked in the U.S.

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If a cave dwelling conjures images of primitive camping, you haven’t seen the Cave at Dunlap Hollow. This 1,500-square-foot rock formation turned modern vacation home 50 miles southeast of Columbus, Ohio, books out one year in advance. Bold design touches like crystal chandeliers, purple kitchen tiles, a pool table, and floor-to-ceiling walnut bookcases stocked with 500-plus tomes have made it a social media sensation. Levi Kelly, a YouTuber who showcases the coolest Airbnbs in the United States, has called it the most unique home he’s ever been to.

But the highly Instagrammable interior is just one part of its allure. The other? Its location in Hocking Hills. The Buckeye State may not be nationally known for its natural wonders, but this unsung region in southeast Ohio will surprise you with its massive caves, deep gorges, tumbling waterfalls, and hemlock-shaded forest trails. Word is quietly getting out about the area’s adventure potential, but when you book the Cave, you never have to worry about crowds. Set on 35 acres, the property has its own network of trails that lead to a creek, waterfalls, and other unique rock formations. Most guests book for the novelty of sleeping in a cave, but return for the private park vibe. Here’s what to know about this super cool vacation stay.

 

The Backstory: How Dunlap Hollow Cave Came to Be

Ohio native Bryant Gingerich never imagined he’d be able to make a living from a trio of Airbnbs. Uninspired working as a mechanical engineer, the outdoor enthusiast initially thought a rental property in Hocking Hills, his go-to adventure escape from his home in Columbus, could be a side hustle while he figured out a job transition. “I grew up working in construction and building cabins sounded fun to me,” he says.

In 2019, he started casually browsing LandWatch, a real estate site that specializes in rural properties. Within a week, he came across a 35-acre plot priced at $415,000 in Rockbridge, an unincorporated community minutes from some of Hocking Hills’ state parks and preserves. “It was everything I dreamed of buying,” he says. With financial help from family and a loan, he and his wife Amy bought the property and named it Dunlap Hollow, as it sits on Dunlap Road and is largely within a ravine, or in Appalachian terms, a hollow.

The mortgage was more than half of his paycheck, so he immediately set to work transforming the property’s dilapidated 1920s hunting cabin into a charming, one-bedroom rental cottage. In October 2019, after four months of work and an $120,000 investment, he listed it on Airbnb. “It became profitable immediately,” he says. “Within the first month or so we were at 85 percent occupancy.” Encouraged, he quit his day job and spent seven months and $320,000 building a three-bedroom, two-bathroom A-frame cabin on the property, which he listed in March 2021.

While wandering the far side of the forested grounds during construction, he stumbled across a huge recess cave hidden behind trees and got the idea to turn it into a third rental.

“Hocking Hills has no shortage of cabin rentals,” he says. “I knew a cave home would be something special.” Gingerich drew on his engineering background and constructed it like a slab home, installing solar panels and radiant floor heating. He added floor-to-ceiling windows across the entrance to flood sunlight into even the far reaches of the cave, and four humidifiers that remove 40 gallons of water from the air per day. He sunk $400,000 into the eight-month project, and couldn’t have fathomed its return on his investment. In two years, it’s had one vacant night and during the peak summer months, costs $1,200 per night. All three rentals collectively earned $700,000 last year, which after costs, brought him $350,000 in net profits.

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Secrets to Rental-Home Success

Gingerich now offers hourly consultations to aspiring rental home owners starting at $450 an hour and also sells his A-frame plans (from $1,950). Here’s some of his complimentary wisdom if you’re looking to craft a space to support outdoorsy guests who want to get outside.

• Do something creative that isn’t mainstream. “There were a lot of traditional cabins in Hocking Hills,” Gingerich says. “I think what made our business successful was that the area didn’t have a lot of A-frames and certainly not a cave and we were in an area people wanted to be.”
• Start by listing on high-visibility platforms. “Airbnb is like free marketing,” he says. Hosts typically pay a three percent fee, and guests also pay Airbnb a service fee. Gingerich now also offers direct bookings, which save guests around 15 percent in fees, he says.
• Tap into local influencers. Gingerich hosted a Columbus influencer in the A-frame in exchange for promotion and says it grew Dunlap Hollow’s Instagram following from 3,000 to 30,000 within a month.
• Invest in social media. After completing the Cave, Gingerich hired a content firm that charges $2,500 a month in exchange for their social media expertise and video production that is used in three social posts per week—mostly on reels—on Dunlap Hill’s Instagram account.
• Add a personal touch. Gingerich and his wife pay a cleaning team around $115,000 annually to keep all three properties spic and span. But they devote around a dozen hours per week to the bookings and communications with guests. They’ve created property trail maps and leave recommendations for area activities in every rental and have stocked the pantries with locally sourced goods ranging from bath salts to coffee.

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What Guests Love About This Airbnb

Alison Payden of Columbus discovered Dunlap Hollow through social media and was struck by the contrast of the natural rock formation and the contemporary decor. “It feels like you’re staying in a medieval castle,” she says. “The interiors are like a work of art filled with beautiful tile work, arched doorways, royal color schemes, and locally sourced antiques.” She and her husband rented the property when summer was in full bloom and in the dead of winter. “No matter the season there is so much beauty to soak in everywhere you look,” she says. “It is so quiet and secluded, you wouldn’t even know there are two other homes on the property.

While the Cave is undeniably the star of Dunlap Hollow, the property’s cottage and A-frame are also in high demand, largely because of its private wilderness setting.

Gingerich estimates that half of Dunlap Hollow’s guests are from Columbus and are looking for an easy urban-to-nature detox. Kim Poling of Columbus booked the cottage for her 25th wedding anniversary in September 2023 and she and her husband have returned four times since. “There is a sign in the cabin that says ‘And into the woods I go, to lose my mind and find my soul,’ and that sums up my experience,” she says. “It’s around an hour from our home, which is a perfect escape from reality. It is so serene. We bring food because once we check in, we don’t leave.” The couple has navigated the property’s trails, but mainly they relax, soaking in the outdoor hot tub or sitting by the indoor or outdoor fire. “My husband doesn’t like to spend money but he said the cottage is worth every hard earned penny,” she says.

Repeat past guest Matt Martin of Columbus also rarely leaves the grounds. The property has a 1.2-mile trail network and the 0.8-mile, out-and-back Overlook Trail has trailheads at all three units and leads guests to a scenic overlook with views of the valley below. Over the last decade, the growth of the Central Ohio region combined with the pandemic boom in outdoor activity, has caused a surge in area tourism, says Martin. In the peak months of summer and fall, trails can often feel crowded. “Dunlap Hollow feels like a state park but you’re on private land,” he says. “To have these caves and trails all to yourself is something you just don’t get from other cabin rentals in the region.”

Martin says the wilderness setting would be a perfect camp site. “I’ve thought about bringing a tent but the rentals are too nice to resist,” he says.

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Local Intel: What to Know About Hocking Hills

Hocking Hills’ main gateway towns, Lancaster and Logan, are 25 and 20 minutes away, respectively. Logan has a Kroger and Walmart Supercenter for guests looking to stock up on supplies and stay put.

If you want to venture out, some of Gingerich’s favorite eateries include Rockmill Brewery and Taproom in Lancaster and 58 West, a restaurant attached to a brewery, wine tasting room, and distillery in Logan.

Cool Outdoor Things to Do at Dunlap Hollow and Nearby

You could easily spend a weekend traversing the trails of Dunlap Hollow, but it’s well worth mustering the motivation to explore beyond the property. And you don’t have to go far. Within a ten-mile radius you’ll find hemlock-shaded gorges, plunging waterfalls, dramatic cliffs and caves, trout-stocked lakes, and trail-laced state forests, parks, and nature preserves, all of which are free. Here are some not-to-be missed experiences.

See the Geological Wonders Within Hocking Hills State Park

A 25-plus mile trail network leads to incredible rock formations and cascading falls that transform into frozen wonders each winter. The six-mile, one-way Grandma Gateway Trail is named for Ohio native “Grandma” Emma Rowena Gatewood, the first woman to solo hike the Appalachian Trail, and overlaps with the 1,400-some mile Buckeye Trail that encircles the state.

It takes in some of the park’s most popular features including Old Man’s Cave, a rock shelter that’s part of an impressive, waterfall-lined gorge cut through 150-foot thick blackhand sandstone, 50-foot Cedar Falls, and Ash Cave, the largest recess cave east of the Mississippi. The latter has a runoff waterfall that spills 90 feet from one corner of its horseshoe-shaped, 700-foot rim and can also be reached along a half-mile, wheelchair-accessible trail.

Get Off the Ground

Nearly 100 acres of forest land one mile east of Conkles Hollow within Hocking Hills State Forest have been set aside for rock climbing and rappelling. Hocking Hills Adventure Trek offers a range of experiences, from intro to rock climbing sessions to 120-foot waterfall rappels (both $180 for up to two people).

Outfitter High Rock Adventures-Hocking Hills Ecotour operates from private land located just past Clear Cleek Metro Park Nature Preserve. The owners have routed 35 to 70-plus foot sandstone cliffs with Petzl anchors and climbing clinics (from $94) can be combined with rappelling and ziplining (from $175).

For an adrenaline rush, try the SuperZip created by Hocking Hills Canopy Tours ($35). This quarter-mile long zipline has users launch head-first from an 85-foot tower. You’ll feel like a superhero soaring up to 50 miles per hour through the forest and over the Hocking River.

Make the Most of Lake Life

Anglers have their pick of lakes to cast from as long as they have a valid Ohio fishing license ($25 for residents per year, $50.96 for non–residents). Rose Lake, located via a half-mile trail within Hocking Hills State Park, is stocked with trout each spring. The waters of Lake Logan State Park and Lake Hope State Park teem with bass, bluegill, catfish, northern pike, saugeye, and crappie. In winter months, hardy fishermen hunker down to ice fish at all three locations and 400-acre Lake Logan is where locals head to ice skate. In summer, the Lake Logan Marina rents kayaks, paddleboards, and pedalboats (from $14 an hour) and local outfitter Touch Earth Adventures runs evening kayak excursions in search of the lake’s elusive giant beaver ($100 for three hours).

Enjoy a Different Take on Nightlife

Hocking Hills has some of the darkest skies in the Midwest. John Glenn Astronomy Park is open year-round to DIY astrotourists who own telescopes. On Friday and Saturday nights between March and November resident astronomer and star wonk Brad Hoehne hosts entertaining celestial programs using the park’s high-powered telescope. Programs are free to the public, but complimentary parking passes must be reserved in advance by calling ahead. The 21-acre garden at family-run Butterfly Ridge Conservation Center has more than 60 species of butterflies and 1,094 different moth species. The moth zone hosts Saturday night education programs from June through August, and visitors can witness hundreds of moths and caterpillars glow in the dark ($6).

Jen Murphy is a frequent Outside contributor. She has slept in a cave hotel in Matera, Italy and the cave at Dunlap Hills has inspired her to take her first trip to Ohio. She has recently written about brand-new, gorgeous hotels that’ll satisfy your adventurous side, as well as how to make the most of solo travel, and how to avoid fighting with your partner when you pack for road trips.