6 Log Cabins You’ll Want To Live In All Year Long

Price: $82,900

Aptly named “Bear Paw Cabin,” this quaint, one-bedroom retreat in North Carolina, sits on 1.07 acres in black bear country — that is, the Southern Appalachian Mountains of Cherokee County. Deer, wild turkeys, and other wildlife make a home in the area too, and you might even spot one of the above taking a cool drink from the water’s edge at Hiwassee Lake. Technically a reservoir, the 22-mile-long, 6,090-acre body of water is about a 10-minute drive from the 1,016-square-foot cabin (hello, trout fishing and boating!). Ideal as a vacation home, the cabin is just 25 minutes from downtown Murphy, with its picturesque boutiques and historic points of interest.

Price: $179,900

Heads up, anglers: This modern, lakefront log cabin in northwest Alabama is only 1,000 feet from the 43,100-acre Pickwick Lake, a body of water that’s renowned for its smallmouth bass and catfish. The centuries-old town of Tuscumbia, where this cabin is located, is famous for something else altogether: It was the hometown of Helen Keller. The cabin was built in 1979 and features a front porch, beamed vaulted ceilings, a fireplace, an updated kitchen with a center island and breakfast nook, and a sunroom that overlooks a portion of the property’s 0.7-acre wooded lot. With 2,178 square feet that include three bedrooms and two bathrooms, this place could certainly serve as the year-round residence for a lucky family.

Price: $409,900

This custom-built, 2,900 square foot log cabin in Prescott, AZ takes rural living to new heights. The property has been carved into a tiny corner of the 1.25 million-acre Prescott National Forest, with an elevation of 7,000 feet. Rising from a landscape of ponderosa pines, juniper, and chaparral, the three-bedroom, three-bathroom residence features custom touches. Think hand-hewn door frames, hickory cabinetry, and a river-rock fireplace. The two-story great room is completed by cathedral ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows, and sliding doors that lead to a wraparound deck. There, guests can take in a stunning view of the valley before heading to the ground-level hammock and pergola.

Price: $500,000

With its wraparound deck and Sierra Nevada-setting, scenery is paramount at this 1,920-square-foot cabin in Placerville. The panorama of treetops is met by the sound of rushing water from nearby Granite Creek, which snakes through the property’s private 7 acres (horse-lovers take note). Inside the cabin, residents can kick back beside the wood stove, gather around the massive island in the modern kitchen, or take a catnap in one of the three bedrooms. There’s no shortage of things to do out and about in El Dorado County, nicknamed the “Mother Lode” due to its role in the California gold rush. Explore historic gold mines, visit a winery or orchard, take a day trip to Lake Tahoe (it’s about a two-hour drive), or have brunch at Sweetie Pies, one of many restaurants in downtown Placerville.

Price: $839,680

Just wait until you see the water views offered by this 3,349-square-foot, heavy-timber luxury log home in Butler, a small town on the northern shore of Watauga Lake in northeast Tennessee. The 10-square-mile man-made lake framed by the Appalachian Mountains and the Cherokee National Forest can be seen from nearly every room in the 3-bedroom, 3-bathroom custom-built home, but it’s simply spectacular from the cathedral-ceilinged great room. Still, the best views of the lake can be found out on the rear deck, where the natural scenery serves as a gorgeous backdrop. The cabin is about 1 mile from the local marina and downtown Butler (stop by The Butler Museum to learn how it earned the nickname “the town that wouldn’t drown”).

Price: $1.749 million

Sandwiched between the 4,711-acre Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve and 900-acre Purisima Park, this contemporary cabin on the San Francisco Peninsula promises peace. The 2,160-square-foot cabin’s wood- and rock-adorned exterior give it a Zen-like aesthetic, especially when fog hangs low over the lush, 3-acre property. The meditative vibe continues inside, thanks in part to clean lines, a river-rock fireplace, planked ceilings and walls, and plenty of skylights. With four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a modern kitchen, and a short 6-mile distance to the Pacific Ocean, this place has “rental income” written all over it. That is, if you can bring yourself to leave.