Lodging at the Arc of Appalachia
The Arc’s overnight lodges are deeply aesthetic experiences, especially when you step outside the door.
The Arc of Appalachia is dedicated to bringing people and nature back together again by putting guests right at nature’s doorstep. All of the Arc’s lodges are situated at the Highlands Nature Sanctuary in Highland County near Bainbridge, Ohio. The Sanctuary is a 3100-acre nature preserve that protects the deep canyon of the Rocky Fork Gorge. This is a region renowned for its stunning rock formations, rare plants, ancient white cedars, grottos and springs, bird-watching opportunities, and spectacular wildflower displays. Guests can enjoy over 16 miles of nature trails at the Sanctuary, 11 miles of Arc-maintained trails at nearby Fort Hill, as well as many other Arc preserves with splendid hiking trails in the larger region.
You are entering a nature preserve with cliffs and intact natural communities. For your safety and full orientation, it is important to read the Lodging FAQ before making a reservation.
Photo by Ken Schory
Zen River Room Suite
$175.00/night; $920.00 per week; plus, sales & lodging taxes; for adults only, sleeps two, 2-night minimum stay. Located at the Highlands Nature Sanctuary.
The Zen River Suite is perched on the rim of the bluffs overlooking the breathtaking Rocky Fork Gorge at the Highlands Nature Sanctuary. The bed, which sits close to the floor, affords a spectacular view through six floor-to-ceiling bedroom windows on three sides of the bedroom. Zen lies adjacent to the Eyrie Suite at the Hermitage Lodge. Both suites are fully private, each with its own entrance. The large private deck offers Adirondack chairs for seating.
Zen has one bedroom with a full bed, a large living room, a full bath, and a fully accessorized kitchen with a French press coffee maker, stove, and refrigerator. Towels and linens are provided. WiFi can be accessed at the Appalachian Forest Museum.
The decor espouses elegant Zen-inspired simplicity with solid oak floors. Hermitage is the preserve’s most remote lodge yet is located in the heart of the Highlands Nature Sanctuary, close to most of the trailheads and within walking distance of the Appalachian Forest Museum. The Sanctuary offers 16 miles of trails.
Zen is for adult guests only, due to the danger that the deep gorge poses to children. Guests may not wander beyond designated pedestrian walkways. Lodging Photo Gallery.
Photo by Ken Schory
Eyrie Suite
$160.00/night; $840.00 per week; plus, sales & lodging taxes; adults only, sleeps two, 2-night minimum stay; located at the Highlands Nature Sanctuary.
The Eyrie Suite is adjacent to the Zen River Room at Hermitage Lodge. Both suites overlook the Rocky Fork Gorge and offer stunning views from the deck and bedroom windows. Both are fully private, each with their own entrance and viewing deck. Adirondack chairs for available for outdoor seating.
Eyrie is slightly smaller than Zen, with a living room kitchenette, one bedroom with a queen-sized bed, and a full bath. The kitchenette is fully accessorized with dishes, cooking ware, a French press coffee maker, a double burner, a toaster oven, microwave, and mini-fridge. Towels and linens are provided. WiFi can be accessed at the Appalachian Forest Museum.
In the Eyrie Suite, the bedroom furniture is handcrafted with native white cedar round logs by a cottage industry in Wisconsin. Snowshoes, an antique fur buggy robe, and an old school desk bring the mystique of the North Woods to the decor. The floors are oak. Hermitage is the preserve’s most remote lodge and is located in the heart of the Highlands Nature Sanctuary, close to most of the trailheads and within walking distance of the Appalachian Forest Museum. The Sanctuary offers 16 miles of trails.
Eyrie is for adult guests only, due to the danger that the deep gorge poses to children. Guests must not wander beyond designated pedestrian walkways.
Photo by Ken Schory
Earthstar Suite at
Whispering Springs
$185.00/night; $970.00 per week; plus, sales & lodging taxes, for adults only, sleeps two, 2-night minimum stay; located at the Highlands Nature Sanctuary.
The Earthstar Suite is one of three lodging facilities located at the Whispering Springs complex, a beautiful tract of land on Cave Road with a pond that is rimmed with chorusing frogs in spring and summer. Rented together - Earthstar, Toadstool, and Chanterelle - the three lodges can serve small family gatherings. Rented alone, Earthstar is a top-quality retreat for couples wanting a quiet nature retreat.
Earthstar Suite has a singular “bubble” construction. It is a state-of-the-art monolithic dome house with an artisan interior crafted out of native hardwoods. Its gently curving exterior melts into the landscape like the hobbit house of Tolkien fame. Earthstar is the largest of the three lodges and is extremely spacious. The floors are oak. It features one bedroom with a king-sized bed, a large kitchen with a stove/oven, a French press coffee maker, a full-sized refrigerator, and kitchenware. The living room/dining area is quite large. The bathroom has a large garden tub and a stand-up shower. Earthstar has a private patio with Adirondack rocking chairs for seating.
Photo by Ken Schory
Toadstool Suite at
Whispering Springs
$140.00/night; $735.00 per week; plus, sales & lodging taxes; for adults only, sleeps two, 2-night minimum stay; located at the Highlands Nature Sanctuary.
The Earthstar Suite is one of three lodging facilities located at the Whispering Springs complex, a beautiful tract of land on Cave Road with a pond that is rimmed with chorusing frogs in spring and summer. Rented together - Earthstar, Toadstool, and Chanterelle - the three lodges can serve small family gatherings. Toadstool serves as a nature retreat for couples.
Toadstool Suite has a singular “bubble” construction - a monolithic dome house with an artisan interior crafted out of native hardwoods. Its gently curving exterior melts into the landscape like the hobbit house of Tolkien fame. Toadstool is considerably smaller than Earthstar Suite but is constructed of the same quality materials. It features one bedroom with a queen-sized bed, a small kitchen with a stove/oven, a French press coffee maker, a mini refrigerator, and fully stocked kitchenware. One room serves as a kitchen, living room, and dining area. Toadstool has a private patio with Adirondack rocking chairs for seating. Lodging Photo Gallery.
Take advantage of our weekday rates; $112/night
Monday - Thursday, June 1st to September 30
Regular rates apply Friday - Sunday
Photo by Ken Schory
Chanterelle Cottage at Whispering Springs
$145.00/night; $765.00 per week; plus, sales & lodging taxes; sleeps up to 5 in 2 bedrooms, 2-night minimum stay; located at the Highlands Nature Sanctuary.
Take advantage of our weekday rates; $116/night
Monday - Thursday, June 1st to September 30
Regular rates apply Friday - Sunday
Chanterelle is a charming, tastefully decorated second-floor loft apartment located at Whispering Springs. It is accessed by a flight of stairs. The lower level is not rented, and guest have the building to themselves. Chanterelle is one of three lodging facilities located at the Whispering Springs complex. Rented together - Earthstar, Toadstool, and Chanterelle - the three lodges can serve small family gatherings. Rented alone, Springhouse serves as a nature retreat for couples or a family of four. It is important to note that the entire apartment is in a “shotgun layout” with the two bedrooms side by side. Thus, if two children are in the back bedroom, they will have to go through the master bedroom to get to the bathroom.
The Chanterelle Cottage has two bedrooms, a master bedroom with a queen bed and a second bedroom with both a double bed and a single bed. It has one full bath on the hall, a full kitchen, and a small second-story deck. The kitchen has a full-size refrigerator, four-burner stove, French press coffee maker, toaster, and microwave.
Chanterelle is close to the Barrett’s Rim and Roundtop hiking trails on Cave Road.
Photo by Roy Willman
Spring House at
Whispering Springs
$155.00/night; $815.00 per week; plus, sales & lodging taxes; sleeps 4, 2-night minimum stay; located at the Highlands Nature Sanctuary.
Spring House Lodge is a modern one-story full-sized home located at Whispering Springs - a complex of lodges that includes Earthstar, Toadstool, and Chanterelle. The walls of this lodge are covered with framed prints of photographic and graphic art, most of which are photographs and selected art by the artistically inclined volunteers who decorated the home so tastefully. Springhouse is a very comfortable and charming place to stay.
The lodge has two bedrooms. One is the master bedroom with a queen bed and private bathroom. The second bedroom has a queen bed with access to a second full bathroom on the hall. Springhouse has a spacious living room, dining area, and full kitchen. The kitchen has a full-size refrigerator, four-stove burner, French press coffee maker, toaster, and microwave. Narrow porches line the front of the home where guests can sit and listen to early summer birdsong and late summer insect choruses.
Spring House is perfect for couples or a small family (up to four). Springhouse is located on Cave Road not far from the Barrett’s Rim and Roundtop Trailheads. Lodging Photo Gallery
Photo by Ken Schory
Barrett’s Millhouse
$525.00/night; $2750.00 per week; plus, sales & lodging taxes; sleeps 4, 2-night minimum stay; located at the Highlands Nature Sanctuary.
Barrett’s Millhouse is a fully remodeled turn-of-the-century lodge with six bedrooms. This historic farmhouse has been recently restored to the handsome, utilitarian ambiance of an 1876-1910 residence. Every room has been carefully appointed with antiques. This is a singular opportunity not just to tour an old home, but to live in a fully restored 1876 farm home inside a 3100-acre protected nature preserve. The attention to detail in this home is stunning. Even the dishes in the cupboards, as are the lighting fixtures and furniture, are antiques. Open a closet in some of the rooms and you just might even see Victorian clothing. And, although there is a microwave, it is hidden. Staying at the Barrett Millhouse is truly like taking a trip back in time.
The lodge has six bedrooms and can sleep up to 12 people at full capacity, or up to 4 if only the first floor is rented. Barrett’s Millhouse has a spacious living room, dining area, and full kitchen. The kitchen has a full-size refrigerator, four-stove burner, French press coffee maker, toaster, and microwave. Located just down the road from two spectacular hiking trails, Barrett’s Rim and Roundtop.
Photo by Ken Schory
Barrett’s Millhouse - 1st Floor
$250.00.00/night; $1315.00 per week; plus, sales & lodging taxes; sleeps 4, 2-night minimum stay; located at the Highlands Nature Sanctuary.
Barrett’s Millhouse is a fully remodeled turn-of-the-century lodge with six bedrooms. This historic farmhouse has been recently restored to the handsome, utilitarian, ambiance of an 1876-1910 residence. Every room has been carefully appointed with antiques. This is a singular opportunity not just to tour an old home, but to live in a fully restored 1876 farm home inside a 3100-acre protected nature preserve. The attention to detail in this home is stunning. Even the dishes in the cupboards, as are the lighting fixtures and furniture, are antiques. Open a closet in some of the rooms and you just might even see Victorian clothing. And, although there is a microwave, it is hidden. Staying at the Barrett house is truly like taking a trip back in time.
The first floor, which features two bedrooms, one with a connected private bathroom, can be rented by individuals, couples, and small groups of up to four people.
Photo by Ken Schory
Leatherwood Cabin
$145.00/night; $765.00 per week; plus sales & lodging taxes; sleeps four, 2-night minimum stay; located at the Highlands Nature Sanctuary
Take advantage of our weekday rates; $116/night
Monday - Thursday, June 1st to September 30
Regular rates apply Friday - Sunday
Leatherwood Cabin is a small historic bungalow located on Cave Road in the heart of the Highlands Nature Sanctuary. The cabin is perched on a forty-foot bluff overlooking the Rocky Fork Creek and is just a half-mile walk to the main visitor center at the Appalachian Forest Museum, where three trails are available during office hours. The Sanctuary has several trailheads in the 3100-acre preserve and 16 miles of hiking trails. A spacious deck wraps around the cabin where guests can sit in Adirondack chairs and watch the waters of the Rocky Fork sweep past the cabin.
Leatherwood has two bedrooms: a master bedroom with a queen bed with a glass door to the deck; and a second bedroom with a double bed. It has a full kitchen with a refrigerator, four-stove burner, French press coffee maker, toaster, and microwave. The living room features the patina and coziness of aged wood paneling, and comfortable upholstered furniture. Please note: the fireplace is decorative only, not functional.
Leatherwood is closer to the road than our other lodges and sits within a small rural community of summer homes and residences. Typical residence-related sounds, such as barking dogs and lawnmowers may sometimes be audible. Guests seeking more isolation should look into the Zen River Room or the Eyrie Suite, which are set further back off the road.
Photo by Ken Schory
Ravenwood Retreat Center - Full Lodge
Full lodge $350.00/night; $1840.00 per week; plus, sales & lodging taxes; sleeps up to 10, 2-night minimum stay. Located at the Highlands Nature Sanctuary.
Ravenwood is a historic millhouse that overlooks the Rocky Fork Gorge on OH-753 on the west side of the Sanctuary. It has been fully remodeled into a beautiful light-filled group lodge with five bedrooms and a capacity to hold 10 people. It is an excellent space for group retreats. The Listening Trail is one of the highlights of staying at Ravenwood and can be accessed right from the backyard, where it descends into a landscape of moss-covered boulders, rock walls, small grottos, and rushing water. Ravenwood is close to God’s Country Trail and Maude’s Cedar Narrows Trail.
Ravenwood has a fully equipped kitchen with two stoves with eight burners, a refrigerator, microwave, and a fully stocked kitchen with utensils, plates, and cookware. The living room has a lofted ceiling and two banks of picture windows. A large porch on the front of the house is enhanced with rocking chairs. A sheltered back porch can be used for picnicking. There is an outdoor campfire ring (bring your own wood).
Ravenwood has a full bath on the halls of each of its two floors. It has 3 bedrooms downstairs and 2 bedrooms upstairs. Two of the downstairs bedrooms have 2 single beds in each of them, and 1 has a full. One of the upstairs bedrooms has a queen and the other has 2 single beds. Ravenwood is fully air-conditioned with supplemental units in the upstairs bedroom windows. The first floor of the lodge can be rented by individuals, couples, or groups of up to six, or the entire lodge can be rented to accommodate up to 10 people.
Photo by Ken Schory
Ravenwood Retreat Center - 1st Floor
First Floor $275.00/night; $1450.00 per week; plus, sales & lodging taxes; sleeps up to 5, 2-night minimum stay. Located at the Highlands Nature Sanctuary.
Ravenwood is a historic millhouse that overlooks the Rocky Fork Gorge on OH-753 on the west side of the Sanctuary. It has been fully remodeled into a beautiful light-filled group lodge with five bedrooms and a capacity to hold 10 people. It is an excellent space for group retreats. The Listening Trail is one of the highlights of staying at Ravenwood and can be accessed right from the backyard, where it descends into a landscape of moss-covered boulders, rock walls, small grottos, and rushing water. Ravenwood is to God’s Country Trail and Maude’s Cedar Narrows Trail.
Ravenwood has a fully equipped kitchen with two stoves with eight burners, a refrigerator, microwave, and a fully stocked kitchen with utensils, plates, and cookware. The living room has a lofted ceiling and two banks of picture windows. A large porch on the front of the house is enhanced with rocking chairs. A sheltered back porch can be used for picnicking. There is an outdoor campfire ring (bring your own wood).
Ravenwood has a full bath on the halls of each of its two floors. It has 3 bedrooms downstairs and 2 bedrooms upstairs. Two of the downstairs bedrooms have 2 single beds in each of them, and 1 has a full. One of the upstairs bedrooms has a queen and the other has 2 single beds. Ravenwood is fully air-conditioned with supplemental units in the upstairs bedroom windows. The first floor of the lodge can be rented by individuals, couples, or groups up to six, or the entire lodge can be rented to accommodate up to 10 people.
Photo by Ken Schory
Beechcliff Retreat Center
$350.00/night; $1840.00.00 per week; plus, sales & lodging taxes; sleeps up to 10, 2-night minimum stay, located at the Highlands Nature Sanctuary.
Beechcliff is a historic turn-of-the-century hunting lodge that has been converted to an Arc overnight nature retreat center, especially for groups. Built in 1912, it served three generations of the Waddell family before being generously donated to the Sanctuary. Lovingly remodeled to modern standards, Beechcliff carries forward a nostalgic ambiance of the early 1900’s, with gleaming wooden floors, antique Shaker furniture, and original wooden trim made from the now-extinct American chestnut tree. Walking into its entrance is like walking back to a quieter, more genteel time.
The lodge has five bedrooms with two single beds each, plus a sink vanity in each room. Its fully equipped kitchen has a refrigerator, stove, microwave, French press coffee maker, and 3-compartment dishwashing sink. It has a large dining room and a spacious screened lower porch overlooking Rocky Fork Creek, perfect for outdoor gatherings or meals. Beechcliff features eco-friendly, state-of-the-art odorless, waterless, chemical-free composting toilets, in a shared bathroom on the hall with two shower stalls.
Beechcliff is an excellent space for groups, retreats, and workshops.
Photo by Ken Schory
Cave House, 3-5 People
$155.00/night; $815.00 per week; plus, sales & lodging taxes; sleeps up to 5, 2-night minimum stay, located at the Highlands Nature Sanctuary
Take advantage of our weekday rates; $124/night
Monday - Thursday, June 1st to September 30
Regular rates apply Friday - Sunday
Cave House is a 1920s cabin that once served as the manager’s house for the historic cave park known as 7 Caves. Before it became part of the Highlands Nature Sanctuary, this beloved children-oriented tourist destination operated for 70 years on Cave Road until closing its doors in 2005. The cabin is tucked into a rocky hillside high above Cave Road and the Rocky Fork Gorge, located directly across the road from the Appalachian Forest Museum at the preserve’s main entrance and parking lot. Cave House has been decorated with 7 Caves memorabilia and antiques to help visitors recall this nostalgic and romantic art deco era on Cave Road.
The Cave House faces the Rocky Fork Gorge and the Appalachian Forest Museum, where guests can enjoy three beautiful hiking trails that are open to the public during Museum hours. Guests share the parking lot with preserve visitors by day but enjoy a completely private space after 4:30 pm when the entire complex is closed to the public and secured behind locked gates.
The facility sleeps five at full capacity but can be rented by individuals or two people at a discounted rate. Cave House has three bedrooms: one with a queen-size bed, one with a full, and one with a twin. Its large, fully equipped kitchen has a full-size refrigerator, stove, microwave, utensils, dishware, and cookware. The flooring is oak. The large kitchen/dining room has two walls of windows that give guests an unparalleled panorama of scenic Cave Road,
Photo by Ken Schory
Cave House, 1-2 people
$140.00/night; plus, sales & lodging taxes; sleeps up to 2, 2-night minimum stay, located at the Highlands Nature Sanctuary
Take advantage of our weekday rates; $112/night
Monday - Thursday, June 1st to September 30
Regular rates apply Friday - Sunday
Cave House is a 1920s cabin that once served as the manager’s house for the historic cave park known as 7 Caves. Before it became part of the Highlands Nature Sanctuary, this beloved children-oriented tourist destination operated for 70 years on Cave Road until closing its doors in 2005. The cabin is tucked into a rocky hillside high above Cave Road and the Rocky Fork Gorge, located directly across the road from the Appalachian Forest Museum at the preserve’s main entrance and parking lot. Cave House has been decorated with 7 Caves memorabilia and antiques to help visitors recall this nostalgic and romantic art deco era on Cave Road.
The Cave House faces the Rocky Fork Gorge and the Appalachian Forest Museum, where guests can enjoy three beautiful hiking trails that are open to the public during Museum hours. Guests share the parking lot with preserve visitors by day but enjoy a completely private space after 4:30 pm when the entire complex is closed to the public and secured behind locked gates.
The facility sleeps five at full capacity. Cave House has three bedrooms: one with a queen-size bed, one with a full, and one with a twin. Its large, fully equipped kitchen has a full-size refrigerator, stove, microwave, utensils, dishware, and cookware. The flooring is oak. The large kitchen/dining room has two walls of windows that give guests an unparalleled panorama of scenic Cave Road,
Lodging under development
Walworth Pond
Walworth Pond is an 11-acre parcel with a beautiful woodlands and a historic cabin that is generously being donated to the Arc by the Walworth family. The cabin sits halfway between the Highlands Nature Sanctuary and Fort Hill Preserve, which the Arc manages on behalf of the Ohio History Connection, and only a few miles south of Ravenwood Lodge. The cabin may very well have been an earlier house site of the Mulungeons, an intriguing mixed-race community that once occupied this region and has left behind a fascinating legacy. The historic cabin is currently undergoing extensive renovation for which funds are being sought. The finished value of the Cabin at Walworth Pond is estimated to be $202,000, $150,000 of which has been generously supplied through the philanthropy of Jim and Kathy Walworth. If you love bringing history to life, please direct your donation to the completion of the Cabin at Walworth Pond.
Coming soon!
Just like our other historic renovations at Cave House, Barrett’s Millhouse, and Beechcliff, the Cabin at Walworth Pond will one day be made available to the public as an overnight rental. Please check back for updates!
Sycamore Springs
For nearly 30 years, the Arc has been buying parcels both large and small to put together the Highlands Nature Sanctuary for the purpose of preserving the final ten miles of the Rocky Fork Creek, along with its splendid karst country landscape of grottos, seeps, arches, canyons, and caves. Sycamore Springs was a five-acre inholding on the far western border of the Sanctuary, not far from where it meets Rocky Fork State Park. The property had been previously developed with a small residence.
Because this parcel included a long shoreline on the Rocky Fork Creek, and because we already owned land on all four sides of it, it was a priority to acquire in order to help create a more fully contiguous wildlands preserve by removing a private residence from within the preserve.
Coming soon!
Because the home is in good condition, our plan is to rent the home by the night as part of our public lodging offerings. It will one day be enjoyed by long-distance travelers to the Sanctuary, and by visitors staying at the Sanctuary to attend educational events. Please check back for updates!