6 private homes in the woods

Mount Shasta, California

Sentinel Retreat stands on 55 acres of oak, dogwood and pine near Lake Siskiyou and Shasta Trinity National Forest. The four-bedroom, red cedar-log home features a great room with a 20-foot tree-and-bear sculpture, rock fireplace and picture windows framing Mount Shasta; a chef's kitchen; and two main suites with patios.

Outside are a firepit, a deck with a grill, a gazebo with a hot tub, and wildlife, outdoor sports, and all-season trails; downtown is 10 minutes' drive. $5,678,000. Todd Renfrew, California Outdoor Properties, (707) 455-4444.

Becket, Massachusetts

This rebuilt 1968 farmhouse sits in a meadow amid 250 acres of Berkshire woodlands. The four-bedroom home has an open main living space with outsize windows, chef's kitchen with marble and soap-stone counters, and doors to a wraparound deck; a downstairs en suite; three upstairs bedrooms with balconies; and a large screened porch.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

On the grounds are a new barn with solar-clad metal roof, 1-acre swimming pond, tennis court, and hiking and skiing trails. $2,750,000. Selina Lamb, Birch Properties, (413) 331-7483.

Harbert, Michigan

Nestled among mature trees, this four-bedroom home is also across from a wooded preserve and walking distance to Lake Michigan. Built in 2020, the open-plan, organic modern house features wide-plank wooden floors, walls of windows facing the trees, eat-in chef's kitchen, and living room with fireplace and sliders to a wraparound patio with a pergola, fireplace and dining area.

The 0.55-acre lot includes a lawn, firepit, in-ground pool, and guesthouse. $2,975,000. Don Kamp, @properties/Luxury Portfolio International, (269) 449-6666.

West Dover, Vermont

Pinnacle House in the Mount Snow Valley is surrounded by deciduous woods. The cedar-shingled six-bedroom home has a cathedral-height, African wood-paneled living room with a stone fireplace and wall of windows facing the slopes; a lower level with hot-tub room and fitness and media area; and a guest suite over the two-car heated garage.

The 2.2-acre property includes an elevated deck and a stone dining patio. $2,750,000. Patrice Schneider, Four Seasons Sotheby's International Realty, (802) 375-3610.

Hillsdale, New York

Dragonfly, a seven-bedroom estate, comes with 129.5 acres of forested land. The restored 1986 house features a three-story step-down living room with two wood-burning stoves and 18 windows; an open kitchen with herringbone wood island, breakfast nook, and French doors to a patio; and attached garage with guest quarters.

Outside are landscaped terraces, pine, birch, and maple trees, and two ponds, one with a floating deck; Hudson and Great Barrington are 20 minutes' drive. $3,495,000. Oliver Brown, Houlihan Lawrence, (917) 680-8933.

Scappoose, Oregon

This two-bedroom home's 6.5-acre parcel abuts designated forest land and includes two meadows and two creeks. The 2014 house features a half-star roofline, cork floors, a compact kitchen with wood cabinetry, a first-floor primary suite, and a spiral staircase to a lofted second bedroom.

Once owned by a granite sculptor, the property includes a detached 2,500-square-foot outbuilding with a shop/garage, studio, office, and kitchenette, plus a separate wood/metal shop. $589,000. Vanessa Calvert, Cascade Hasson Sotheby's International Realty, (503) 869-8421.

This article was first published in the latest issue of The Week magazine. If you want to read more like it, you can try six risk-free issues of the magazine here.