Creek & Log Cabin near I-70, Sauna in the Forest

Enchanting storybook National Forest neighborhood yet just 3 scenic miles to the best highway, I-70, to explore the Rockies or get to Denver in 45 min! Legit "Lincoln Log" cabin! Watch Mill Creek bend & cascade down the canyon while perched in the living room, balcony, or barrel sauna! Red Rocks concerts 35 min away. Walk to hiking trails. 3 mtn towns full of shopping, food, & breweries within 15-20 min. Loveland skiing 21 min away. Towering aspens and magical firs & spruces dot the property!

We spent countless hours meticulously crafting the perfect home away from home in this cabin. We thought (and labeled) everything out to make everything easy for you so you can just kick back and enjoy this truly special creek-lined Rocky Mountain forest.

This area being at the edge of wilderness is notorious for bad internet service, BUT after years on the waiting list we're one of the first to have high-speed 100+ Mbps Starlink internet!

Layout:
》Main floor: living room w/ gas fireplace; kitchen and dining area; two bedrooms with queen beds; full bathroom; elevated deck overlooking the creek
》Upstairs floor: master bedroom with king bed and ensuite bathroom; loft nook with lounge seating & desk

This authentic new-construction 1,700 sq ft 3/2 log cabin includes:

✔ all brand-new modern furniture including high-end leather couch and modern swivel chairs
✔ brand-new high-quality king and queen memory foam mattresses with luxurious bedding
✔ lots of natural light from the many towering windows
✔ gas fireplace with remote
✔ 55" smart TV - on a swivel so can watch from the dining table, kitchen, or living room
✔ bring-your-own Netflix, Amazon, HBO, Disney, Hulu, or YouTube TV subscriptions to access on the Android TV (there is no cable/dish TV available)
✔ stereo with subwoofer and Bluetooth
✔ workspace - a desk in the loft
✔ loft nook - great for lounging in a separate space from the lower living room
✔ elevated deck - overlooks cascading creek (creek mostly freezes over in winter)
✔ board games - simple to advanced from Candy Land to Catan!

The kitchen is fully equipped and battle-tested. It has all the accoutrements needed to roast a turkey, bake a cake, or scramble eggs. Dinnerware and drinking vessels to contain any type of liquid. Bonus equipment includes a KitchenAid mixer, Cuisinart chopper, an InstantPot for slow or pressure cooking, a Britta filter pitcher, waffle-maker, carafes, and a toaster.

We are non-recovering coffee addicts and so offer several methods to get your fix at our coffee bar:
✔ Nespresso coffee maker with provided pods (quickest)
✔ Chemex pour-over with filters (best tasting for 2)
✔ automatic drip coffee maker (large batches)
✔ burr coffee grinder
✔ electric pour-over kettle with thermometer
✔ coffee scale
✔ assortment of teas

We offer an oversized pack-n-play and high-chair on request.

There is parking for two cars max. Cars can not obstruct the main driveway from Nov 15th to May 15th so that hired snowplow can clear the way.

For everyone's security, there are two outside cameras located 25 yards from the cabin entrance. One overlooks the property entrance and helps assess road conditions. The other overlooks the driveway and cabin entrance.

NEIGHBORHOOD OVERVIEW:

This neighborhood is in a perfect Goldilocks situation. Not too far from towns and a major highway to quell your thirst for civilization. Yet surrounded by a peaceful gorgeous water-centric portion of Arapaho National Forest up the side of 13,000+ ft mountains.

There are three hiking trails that start in the neighborhood that take you deeper into the forest and traverse up to a string of 13K+ ft mountains in the James Peak Wilderness Area.

Watch out for moose, bears, fox, deer, and mountain lions. Do not leave any trash outside other than in the bear-proof trash can.

We do have neighbors within sight on one side and one across the creek. Please be respectful of their privacy and this includes sound. We are in a valley where voices echo across the way with ease. The creek muffles some of it, but in the winter when the creek is frozen over it's much quieter.

The neighbors have moved here to enjoy the peace of the surrounding forest and relish walking their dogs off-leash on the roads. Please respect them by slowing down on the roads and keeping outside sounds (especially after-hours) to a minimum.

If you notice something different about this swath of forest versus south-facing and lower elevation forests, the conditions are just right so that the majority of the conifers are of the Christmas tree-like subalpine firs and Engelmann spruce. And the cool and moister conditions create absolutely massive aspens. This is in contrast to the normally drier forests with mostly ponderosa and lodgepole pines with longer needles.

GETTING AROUND:

Must have AWD/4WD with 3/16" tire tread from Nov through May. We do not accept reservations otherwise as you will struggle to get up our driveway and the local hills. This is a state law for driving on I-70 during snow activity.

No Uber/Lyft service.

The cabin is just 3 miles from I-70. This is Colorado's crown jewel of highways as it's the most direct way to get you deeper into the mountains west to explore Georgetown, Frisco, Breckenridge, Vail, and beyond or east to Idaho Springs, Central City, Evergreen, Golden, Denver, and the DIA airport.

Driving distances without traffic:
→ 15 min: Idaho Falls - mountain town with charming restaurants, breweries, and shopping along the main street. Also a Safeway grocery store and liquor stores
→ 17 min: Georgetown - quaint and historic with things to do on a smaller scale than Idaho Falls
→ 18 min: Silver Plume - practically a ghost town (we think in a good way) but with rated best old-time cocktail bar in Colorado (temp closed for COVID)
→ 21 min: Loveland Ski Area
→ 30 min: Central City / Blackhawk casino mountain town
→ 35 min: Red Rocks world-renowned concert amphitheater
→ 40 to 90 min: world-class skiing in A-Basin, Winter Park, Keystone, Vail, Breckenridge, Beaver Creek, Copper Mountain; peak of Mount Evans by car (highest paved road in US), epic hiking/backpacking, Rocky Mountain National Park
→ 62 min: Denver International Airport

We are at 9,100 feet. We recommend not overexerting yourself on the first day (especially coming from sea level) and drink lots of water starting two days before your visit. Most will start to acclimate after a day or so. Not recommended if you have heart/breathing issues.