"Rocky Mountain High" ... in Minnesota. That describes a massive drystack stone and timber estate now on the market that looks like a luxurious Western ski retreat. But instead of a craggy cliff, Crow Wing Lodge is set on 23 acres and almost 900 feet of sandy shoreline on Pelican Lake near Breezy Point.
"It's one of the coolest properties I've seen in Minnesota ... like a property from Jackson Hole, Vail or Aspen," said real estate agent Mike Lynch, Lakes Sotheby's. "Everything is top of the line."
And listed at $4.995 million, the house boasts the highest price in outstate Minnesota currently on the market. "It will be a record-breaking deal when it sells," said Lynch.
The home, which includes a 12,000-square-foot main house, plus a deluxe 5,700-square-foot boathouse, was designed by Pearson Design Group, an architectural firm in Bozeman, Mont., and built by Nor-Son of Wayzata in 2007.
Lodge-inspired architecture features soaring ceilings, catwalks and reclaimed wood paneling throughout, for rustic character crossed with contemporary style.
The next owner will be able to host a crowd. There are nine bedrooms, all with their own en suite bathrooms, including a lofted kids' retreat and two master suites. "The guester master is spectacular," Lynch said. "It has a lakeside patio, copper tub and steam shower."
The lake-facing dining room was designed to double as a boardroom. "It's ideal for corporate retreats," said Lynch of the home, which is a 30-minute drive from the Brainerd airport.
Crow Wing Lodge is loaded with mountain-style atmosphere. Guests can relax beside one of the five wood-burning fireplaces, including a towering 30-foot-tall walk-in stone fireplace in the great room.
For stargazing, there's a third-floor observatory with a computer-operated telescope and retractable roof that opens up.
The boathouse "blows your mind," said Lynch. It's finished with a teak interior and has four bays for storing boats, each with its own track into the lake. There's also a hot tub room, an exercise room, a game room with wet bar and fireplace, as well as another bedroom suite.
And if you need even more space to stash extra boats, water toys or other vehicles, there are three finished and heated storage buildings — one equipped with a crane — as well as a pole barn.
Mike Lynch, 612-619-8227, Lakes Sotheby's, has the listing.
Kim Palmer • 612-673-4784
@stribkimpalmer
