Luxurious Log Cabins

The log cabin is embedded in the national consciousness as an old-time icon of simple, wholesome American living. Abraham Lincoln grew up in a log cabin, by gum, and look at what he made of himself!

However, as with every other aspect of American culture, today’s log cabin has been supersized. The structures that follow in this slideshow are a long way from Lincoln's logs. Log cabins have gone from inspirational to aspirational. Whereas it was once incongruous to link the phrase “million dollar” to “log cabins,” it’s now quite the norm for a log home’s price to rise into seven figures and beyond.

What can a log cabin offer to command such prices? They’re cabins in name only. They offer the same amenities and features every other modern home offers—the chef's kitchens, the hot tubs, the walk-in showers, the square footage—only rustic and with logs. These structures can serve as summer and winter vacation lodges for those who can afford such luxuries, but they’re also quite well supplied to function as year-round homes. 

So dust off your antler chandelier and taxidermied critters and indulge in some cabin fever. Click through to see these contemporary and traditional log homes for sale on Realtor.com, ordered from the least pricey to the few incredible examples that are priced into eight figures.

By Colleen KaneAugust 9, 2011

Price: $1,495,000
Bedrooms / Baths: 4 / 5
Square Footage: 5,040
Acreage: 5.96

This contemporary white cedar log home was built in 2002 and has numerous whimsical touches and unique features such as the aquarium/fountain corner, a pool table situated on the catwalk bridge area, and a kitchen featuring copper, alderwood, burl wood, cherry and a crackle stain finish. There’s a breakfast nook, a hobby room, and an exercise room. Outdoor points of interest on the property are a brick oven on the patio and, further afield, a rock quarry and waterfalls.

Price: $1,675,000
Bedrooms / Baths:  4 / 5
Square Footage: 4,846
Acreage: 4.60

There’s something so inviting and familiar about the look of this two-story log home. It’s like architecture's version of comfort food. Inside, the walls are plaster rather than logs but have log trim, and there is stone flooring with hydronic radiant heat throughout including in the garage, a fish pond, outdoor sound system and a fire pit outside. The listing doesn’t specify, but probably also inside this place are fragrant home-cooked meals and a large friendly dog or two. For a different, unusual rustic option closer to Lake Tahoe, there is this $1.75 million Tahoe City timber frame house. 

Price: $1,795,000
Bedrooms / Baths: 4 / 5
Square Footage: 2,918
Acreage: 24.65

Built by equestrians, this property is a find for mountain-loving fellow animal lovers, with fencing, turnouts, a barn and arenas for the horses with plenty of acreage, not to mention heated doghouses for the canines. The views include U.S. Forest Service land in one direction, and the San Francisco Peaks can be seen in the other direction. There are not many people to be found in Parks, Arizona—the population was 1,241 in 2007. The house features four master bedrooms, each with their own bathrooms, as well as hickory plank floors, flagstone patios, and an antler chandelier. It manages to be cozy even with vaulted ceilings.

Price: $2.5 million
Bedrooms / Baths: 6 / 5
Square Footage: 4,600
Acreage: 320

Behold, the Norway red pine log cabin known as Moblo! It’s located less than three miles from Lake Michigan, but it’s directly on the spring-fed private Lake Charlevoix. The 15-year-old house is traditional, yet offers a mix of the old and the modern: four master suites, indoor and outdoor fireplaces, a children’s bunk bed room, a gourmet kitchen with granite counters, and the all-important antler chandeliers. Plentiful windows and a wrap-around porch allow lucky residents and visitors to take in the enormous expanse of acreage, which includes wetlands, ancient forests and meadows.

Price: $4,750,000
Bedrooms / Baths: 7 / 9
Square Footage: 9,147
Acreage: 35.31

This custom log home in the mining-turned-ski town of Crested Butte has views of Long Lake. It’s just six years old so it's quite up to date, with a modern kitchen and long breakfast bar, the soaking tubs and walk-in showers, and it’s scaled to today’s standards as evidenced by the 15 x 20 foot master bedroom. Yet, the heavy exposed timber beams and other aspects evoke a long-established historic structure.

Price: $5.4 million
Bedrooms / Baths: 5 / 8
Square Footage: 19,360
Acreage: 23

Although this log mansion has a contemporary profile and is just 11 years old, it’s built from Engelmann spruce timbers reclaimed from forest fires, lending it a traditional feel. The rest of the property is not exactly lacking either, with a 30-foot waterfall and bear cave that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, a 3.5-acre spring-fed stocked lake, a horse riding ring, a children’s log cabin playhouse with electricity, plus a 1,950-square-foot lofted barn including two cooler rooms.

Price: $10.5 million
Bedrooms / Baths: 4 / 10
Square Footage: 11,174
Acreage: 18.40

With its recurring use of vertical tree trunks as support beams, this mansion has the feeling of living under the canopy of an enchanted wood, or at least a resort or casino version of one. The floor-to-vaulted-ceiling windows of the great room offer an unhindered vista of the Spokane River. There’s a media room, a game room with a bar, and if the formal dining room is too formal, try the informal dining room instead. For a slightly more feminine take on the luxury log cabin, the same lakefront town also has this one for $2.4 million.

Price: $49.5 million
Bedrooms / Baths: 12 / 16
Square Footage: 20,000
Acreage: 60.22

In case you skimmed past the statistics above, you might want to go back and read all of them. This is not so much a luxurious log cabin as a rustic private resort for one family and their closest several dozen friends. Features include a gym, indoor pool and hot tub with views, game room with views, decks with sunset mountain views, a garage for about 20 cars, and a castle-length dining room table. If that one is too extravagant, enjoy the three ski and summer resorts of Park City in this more modest neighboring log cabin for a mere $26.2 million.