Jaw-dropping? Try mic-dropping. Because the typical adjectives can’t quite capture that aha moment when eyes first meet the (seriously stunning) views offered by these one-of-a-kind properties. The spectacular scenery is a perk that comes from the homes’ gravity-defying locations — perched upon a mesa in the high desert of Utah, for example, or custom-built into a lake-facing ridge in Montana (complete with its own cascading waterfall). Prepare yourself.
An eagle’s nest in the Pacific Northwest: $835,000, 10A Eagles Nest Drive, La Conner, WA 98257
Calling postcard-perfect La Conner, WA, the oldest community in Skagit County (its town center is listed on the National Register of Historic Places) home, this cliffside retreat was custom-built in 1988. Its distinctive round shape blurs the line between luxury cabin and lookout point, while a curved deck delivers unobstructed views of the surrounding old-growth trees, the Puget Sound, and the Olympic Mountains. Inside the 1,764-square-foot, two-bedroom home, picture windows scale the full height of the vaulted ceilings, ensuring no sunset goes unappreciated.
A waterfall runs through it: $850,000, 160 Bjork Drive, Bigfork, MT 59911
The 200-square-mile Flathead Lake (the largest natural lake west of the Mississippi) serves as the freshwater front yard-slash-aquatic-playground for this contemporary mountain house in northwestern Montana. Built into a rock face, the 3,877-square-foot, three-bedroom home features an impressive 2,000 square feet of decks — all the better for drinking in that foothills-framed view of the valley below. That same perspective can be enjoyed from the window-lined great room, complete with cathedral ceilings, a renovated kitchen, and a wet bar. Circling back to that rock face: It’s traversed by a 50-foot cascading waterfall!
New horizons in New England: $1.139 million, 95 Menotomy Road, Plymouth, MA 02360
The New England town of Plymouth, MA, is home to Plymouth Rock, the site where the Mayflower Pilgrims may have first made landfall back in 1620. Close to four centuries later, in 1996, this Shingle Style home was custom-built 14 miles southeast of the historic site, upon a grassy bluff overlooking Cape Cod Bay. With sweeping views that stretch all the way across the bay to Provincetown, MA, the 2,033-square-foot home offers three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a modern kitchen within its open floor plan. Did we mention the huge two-tier deck and the private beach access? Bring your beach towel!
Ecofriendly desert living in Utah: $1.475 million, 43 Behind The Rocks Drive, Moab, UT 84532
Designed to echo the rugged beauty of the Colorado Plateau, this adobe-style home sits upon a mesa amid a red-and-green landscape of sandstone and desert brush. Sustainability was paramount during its construction in 2002: Not only does the 2,600-square-foot home feature ecofriendly straw-bale construction, but it also makes use of materials sourced from its surroundings (think rocks from nearby canyons, clay from the Colorado River, and fire-kill juniper from the La Sal Mountains). Keeping with the residence’s passive solar design, oversized picture windows bathe every space with natural light, from the vaulted-ceiling kitchen to each of the three bedrooms.
Mega-mansion with yacht parking: $5.995 million, 17607 Breakwater Drive, Jonestown, TX 78645
Proof that everything really is bigger in Texas, this mission–style mansion measures in at a whopping 11,696 square feet, with six bedrooms, 10 full bathrooms, a home theater, a wine cellar, an infinity-edge pool, and a five-car garage. And why have one veranda when you can have three? This knockout boasts covered outdoor spaces on three levels, because when your home (palace?) is situated on a cliff beside 18,929-acre Lake Travis (about 18 miles northwest of central Austin, TX), you need to make the most of the prime locale.
Stuccoed stunner in San Francisco: $16 million, 320 Sea Cliff Ave., San Francisco, CA 94121
If you’re a fan of Spanish Revival architecture, this 5,200-square-foot, four-bedroom home will be right up your alley. From its turreted tile roof to its profusion of arches and ironwork, this $16 million stunner exemplifies the architectural style inside and out. All the above pales in comparison to the home’s true selling feature: its staggering views, made possible by the home’s cliffside location in San Francisco’s fabled Sea Cliff neighborhood. Picture windows frame a breathtaking panorama of the Pacific Ocean, the local favorite China Beach, and, in the distance, the Marin Headlands. That master bathroom! Swoon.
