Ohiopyle 'Hobbit House' rental entices visitors to outdoor adventure

Whether Gollum haunts the premises remains to be seen, but Gandalf greets visitors at the Ohiopyle Hobbit House.

The “Lord of the Rings”-themed vacation rental property is newly open amidst 60 wooded acres southwest of the popular Fayette County adventure destination.

A larger-than-life-size statue of the wizard character of J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy saga stands at the front door.

The three-story structure abuts a hillside and overlooks a stream with a small waterfall. The second and third floors are set back from the ground floor, with its roof serving as a deck.

With natural wood siding, curved roof lines, green trim and artificial turf on the deck, the house blends into the surroundings in the manner of the hobbit houses that populated Tolkien’s Middle-earth.

The owners are Bob and Nina Basile, who live on the Wharton Township property that also is the setting of a more conventional cabin dubbed the Ohiopyle Treehouse, which opened two years ago.

The Hobbit House has a living room, kitchen and bathroom on the first floor, two bedrooms opening to the deck on the second floor and a main suite opening to a small balcony on the third floor. It sleeps 10.

“It has a lot of special, hidden features,” Bob Basile said.

Many of those features were custom-designed and built by Bob Basile, a former homebuilder who now is a construction manager for a Pittsburgh-based developer of 7-Eleven and Dollar General stores.

Bookshelves built into the staircase are stocked with “Lord of the Rings” volumes, along with “Harry Potter” and other fantasy titles.

Bob Basile built the heavy wooden doors that have peepholes covered by iron grates. Barrels from a local brewery were incorporated in the kitchen cabinets, coffee tables and mirror frames.

Guests can drink their morning coffee from custom-made mugs bearing an “Ohiopyle Hobbit House” logo.

The walls host photos of a figure clad as Gandalf at nearby sites such as Fallingwater, Ohiopyle Falls and Fort Necessity. Bob Basile posed for one and his father, Bob Basile Sr. of Belle Vernon, is the model for others.

Quest for the ring

Though there are numerous sightseeing and recreation opportunities nearby, there’s also plenty to do on the property. Visitors can trek a private hiking trail, soak in the hot tub or build a fire in a custom-made fire pit.

The eaves, trees and waterfall features are strung with rope lights for guests enjoying the outdoors after dark.

“As nice as it is (in the daytime), you should see it at night,” Bob Basile said.

Guests also can make like Tolkien’s Frodo and Sam Gamgee by undertaking a quest to find five rings hidden around the property, with the Gandalf figure providing the first clue for the scavenger hunt.

The Basiles bought the property in 2005. Nina Basile grew up in the nearby Deer Lake area.

“I needed land to build a garage for my construction business,” Bob Basile said. “We wanted a rural property to raise our kids. It’s nice and peaceful, and there aren’t any neighbors nearby.”

The couple thought adding rental units would be a way to recoup some of the expense of running utilities and adding infrastructure at the remote location, about 12 miles from Ohiopyle.

“We thought it would be a way to make some passive income, but it’s not as passive as we thought,” Bob Basile said. “It is a lot of work.”

After building the Treehouse, they didn’t set out specifically to build a Hobbit House, he said. The idea evolved with the site they chose, which was a favorite play area for their two adult sons when they were young.

In two years of operation, Bob Basile said, the Treehouse has hosted guests from 20 states, many from the Washington, D.C., area.

“We ask them what brings them here,” he said. “A lot of them come for Fallingwater, and Ohiopyle is becoming a destination. It’s a beautiful area of the country.”

Bob Basile said he thinks the Hobbit House will be a popular year-round destination, owing partly to the natural surroundings.

“What makes it so pretty, even in the winter, is that it’s still green with all the mountain laurel,” he said.

More information is available at Ohiopyle Hobbit House on Facebook, and at airbnb.com.