With spring blooms popping and regions thawing out across the country—OK, our apologies to the residents of Denver, Wisconsin and other Midwest regions suffering through Winter Storm Selene—we turn our thoughts to the delights of a new season. Where better to enjoy the views, scenery and recreation than in a beautifully situated lake house? Pull up a chair and enjoy the view. We present 11 of our favorite lake houses for sale on Lands of America this week.
LAKE COUNTY | MONTANA | $3,400,000 | PROPERTY ID: 1675075
Lakefront real estate doesn’t come much more prestigious than on Montana’s Flathead Lake, the largest natural freshwater lake west of the Mississippi River in the contiguous United States. A shade larger than Lake Tahoe in terms of surface area, Flathead sits south of Kalispell, Montana, and to the east of the rugged mountain ranges of Flathead National Forest. This 4.6-acre property features 380 acres of lake frontage, plus a protected two-acre lagoon with boat slips, sand beach and full lake access. A small waterside cottage complements the property’s larger five-bedroom home.
HANCOCK COUNTY | MAINE | $5,950,000 | PROPERTY ID: 2723282
Fox Pond Estate is an 880-acre property abutted on all sides by conservation lands, including 73-acre Fox Pond (throughout New England, “great pond” refers to any ten-acre or more body of water held in public trust for conservation or public use). The property is completely removed from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, even being located within the “unorganized territory” of Maine where there is no municipal governments, local police or other governing bodies. The estate is fully equipped to support the region’s prevailing self-sufficient, self-sustaining lifestyle, including underground utilities, generator backup, waste-management area, fire-hydrant protection and security and communication systems.
PLACER COUNTY | CALIFORNIA | $3,495,000 | PROPERTY ID: 3024850
Set idyllically above the shoreline of North America’s largest alpine lake, Lake Tahoe, sumptuous 184 Rim Drive, aka “Fitzhaven,” can only be what is termed as prime real estate. The main three-bedroom home affords stunning south-facing views of the iridescent 22- by 12-mile lake that splits eastern California and northwestern Nevada. A four-bedroom guest house affords additional space—after all, who wouldn’t want to stay here… for a very long time? The property conveys with permits to two Tahoe Regional Planning Agency buoys, plus the option to expand lake access with a future pier. Lakefront living at its finest.
HAMILTON COUNTY | TENNESSEE | AUCTION | PROPERTY ID: 3093053
This elegant Tennessee home promises secluded lakefront living within easy range of Chattanooga, one of the state’s most booming and prosperous cities. For sale by auction on April 14, 2016, the four-bedroom home is in prime condition with a number of recent renovations and upgrades to give it a modern, luxurious feel. Beyond most every window await sweeping views of Chickamauga Lake, formed by the damming of the Tennessee River in the 1940s and now a popular local recreational spot. Summer pastimes include boating and fishing, while the fall colors along the shoreline here are unrivaled.
POLK COUNTY | TEXAS | $3,100,000 | PROPERTY ID: 2991033
Perched on a hilltop overlooking 83,000-acre Lake Livingston (a reservoir maintained by Texas’ Trinity River Authority), LLL Ranch offers an intriguing opportunity for someone in the market to develop their dream lakefront getaway. The property’s 23 acres occupy a peninsula that affords much-coveted privacy compared to other nearby plots, while a fishing pier and boat slip offer easy access to the lake. The broad-shouldered, 1.5-story residence on the property, while in need of some immediate TLC, boasts uninterrupted lakefront views and nightly sunset spectaculars.
KOOTENAI COUNTY | IDAHO | $3,385,000 | PROPERTY ID: 3094794
This upscale home boasts everything you’d want from a lakefront property, including almost 2,000 feet of water frontage as part of its 31-acre parcel. A private dock offers immediate access to the pristine waters of Lake Couer d’Alene, running 25 miles north to south in Idaho’s Panhandle region. On land, the log-sided, four-bedroom home exudes a rustic yet luxurious feel, with exposed wood floors, marble countertops and light-filled rooms looking out over the lake. The home is located 30 miles south by road from the amenities and bustle of Couer d’Alene, Idaho’s largest city.
TALLAPOOSA COUNTY | ALABAMA | $899,000 | PROPERTY ID: 2447527
Tucked within the wooded fissures of Alabama’s 44,000-acre Lake Martin, considered one of the largest manmade lakes in the country, an aerial view makes the lake’s infinite inlets and branches look like a sketch of the human respiratory system. The 1.6-acre, four-bedroom property is designed perfectly to take full advantage of its waterfront aspect, including an inviting great room and screened-in porch that drink in the view. A small jetty leads out into the lake, offering a place to moor boats as well as wile away warm summer days gazing across the peaceful bay.
HAMILTON COUNTY | NEW YORK | $4,380,000 | PROPERTY ID: 2586035
One of the few non-residential properties in this list, we couldn’t resist the pristine and historic allure of 4,383-acre Cedarlands Scout Reservation, listed for sale for the first time in over half a century. Set in the heart of New York’s humongous Adirondack Park, you can see how generations of scouts honed their outdoor skills at this beautiful encampment. Glistening like a crown jewel within the reserve’s boundaries, 460-acre McCrorie Lake is Cedarlands’ centerpiece, home to the scout camp’s main campus and facilities, plus nexus of all the amazing fishing, boating and other water recreation to be enjoyed. Did we mention the miles of trails through the property’s 3,400 acres of undeveloped backcountry and three on-property peaks? Scouting aficionados, take note.
JACKSON COUNTY | OREGON | $3,500,000 | PROPERTY ID: 2723312
Indian Lake Ranch is set in the scenic heart of Oregon’s Rogue Valley region, and includes over 1,900 acre-feet of seasoned water rights on its namesake Indian Lake. The ranch has historically operated as a cattle ranch, currently supporting over 300 pair of cattle in productive, well-maintained pastureland. The estate also supports herds of Roosevelt elk and blacktail deer as well as a number of other wildlife species. Located in southern Oregon north of the city of Medford, the ranch boasts year-round vehicle access on well-maintained roads, not to mention a private airstrip and hangar for those able to travel in with a little more altitude!
FRANKLIN COUNTY | VIRGINIA | $6,750,000 | PROPERTY ID: 1176400
Smith Mountain Lake is a large mountain reservoir in southwestern Virginia that is a popular summer haven for the denizens of the metro Washington, D.C., area. It also sits within close proximity of the Blue Ridge Parkway and the area’s many outdoor-recreation opportunities. The house itself is a compact A-frame log structure that blends perfectly into the landscape and sits right at water’s edge. A covered bathhouse and three-boat slip provide immediate lake access, while the compact lakefront living quarters give way to a 215-acre estate of woodlands and hayfields that includes a restored farmhouse and barn.
MARQUETTE COUNTY | MICHIGAN | $40,000,000 | PROPERTY ID: 2817919
Considered the world’s largest log cabin, Michigan’s Granot Loma stands as a time capsule of early 20th-century history. Built in the 1920s by financier Louis G. Kaufman as his answer to the great Adirondack homes of Gilded Age contemporaries like the Vanderbilts, Guggenheims and Rockefellers, this impressive 23-bedroom structure is said to have hosted “campers”including Fred Astaire and George Gershwin. It is even rumored that Muhammad Ali tried to buy the property as a boxing camp in the 1970s. Quite apart from its storied history (Granot Loma is listed on the National Register of Historic Places), the lodge’s natural setting is superlative, jutting into the waters of Lake Superior like a log-and-cement-framed Scandinavian longship.