FROM OCT TO MAY YOU MUST HAVE AWD OR 4WD AND WINTER TIRES OR MOUNTAIN/SNOWFLAKE RATED TIRES. NO EXCEPTIONS.
If you do, enjoy peace and tranquility on ten private acres in our secluded mountain hideaway. Our 1400 s/f sanctuary is in a magical forest with trees, views, wildlife, and a seasonal stream. It's a place to unwind and recenter. Ten miles from downtown Estes, but in an entirely different world.
7 min drive to Longs Peak Trailhead
500 yards to the National Park boundary
The space
Sorry to be stern about vehicles, but too many people have slid off the road and blocked our entire neighborhood in with inadequate winter vehicles. This means nobody can get to the hospital, work or school. It's made worse by a no cell service.
Our house rules:
- No early check in or late checkouts. Check in is 4pm or later; check out is 10am or earlier.
- o smoking inside or out; no fire pits; no parties; no pets.
- 3 cars & 6 guests max.
- Guests must load/start dishwasher and start a laundry load of towels/hand towels/washcloths at checkout
Onward!
My husband and I bought this home nearly twenty years ago with a dream to retire in it and spend our evenings watching the sun gracefully set over the Rockies after our kids move out of the house. We’ve got a few years to go, so in the meantime, we’d like to invite you to live that dream of ours!
Moss Brook Cabin sits on ten completely secluded acres teeming with wildlife and huge pine trees, with enormous picture windows everywhere so you can enjoy the most epic landscapes imaginable. There’s a gorgeous creek bisecting our lot with a small picnic table next to it so you can dine with your family while listening to the sound of the water, and our deck offers some of the most breathtaking views anywhere near Estes Park. Note that the stream runs off snowmelt and is usually dry by August.
There are almost no vacation homes around that offer this kind of privacy and mountain experience. If you’re looking for a true secluded mountain getaway, this is it. Moss Brook is a special place.
We are new hosts on this platform, but we’ve hosted for a decade on other platforms. Past guests have raved about our home:
“… There are picture windows in every room of the main floor with breathtaking views of the property and the mountains. I woke up early each morning to go upstairs and peek over the pine trees to see the sun rising.”
“… The location was great. Close to town but still felt secluded. We loved it.”
"… It was a truly secluded retreat from the realities of the day and served as the perfect location to use as our home base for day hikes into the Rockies.”
"… We watched a bobcat chase a rabbit right outside the living room window. We were awoken to the sounds of elk bugling every morning and watched a herd walk through the property on their way up the mountain for the day."
We spent early 2020 giving our home a bit of a facelift to create an even more relaxing sanctuary than it was before. Improvements include:
+ Fresh paint throughout
+ New rugs
+ New linens and bedding
+ New outdoor living amenities
You will enjoy 3 bedrooms (a queen, king and full), a living room, laundry room, kitchen with picture windows, dining area, and a gorgeous moss rock gas fireplace that’s the centerpiece of the first floor of our home. Our deck has a great grill so you can stare at Twin Sisters Mountain as you BBQ, and our magical lot will bring peace to our soul.
My favorite part of our home is, of course, its seclusion. You won’t see or hear anyone during your stay. The property is ten miles from Estes Park, with views straight into two huge mountains. There’s no light pollution, so you’ll likely see more stars each night than most people have in their lives.
BEDROOMS
My home offers 3 bedrooms:
Bedroom 1 - A large king bedroom on the main floor of the house, closest to our property’s namesake Moss Brook. If you’re looking to fall asleep to the sounds of a the creek’s rolling waterfalls, this is the place to rest your head.
Bedroom 2 - A full size mattress in this bedroom faces two huge picture windows with views straight into the forest. This is a good option for the kids who’ll be excited to peek out into the woods for bears, elk, deer, bobcat, or, if they’re lucky, a mountain lion.
Bedroom 3 - A super cute second floor queen bedroom that is at the same level of the forest canopy. You’ll fall asleep to the wind howling through the pine trees, and you’ll feel like you’re in a treehouse.
LIVING & ENTERTAINMENT
Deck - A hallmark of our home, with views, views, and more views. It’s raised up a full story above the walkout unfinished basement, so you can see through the forest below and to the mountains above. We’ve got outdoor seating and a grill. Relaxing out here will make you feel like you’re in a wildlife sanctuary — the national park boundary is about 1500 feet away, so while the property technically isn’t part of the park, it feels like it is.
Living Room - A sectional couch partially encircles a gorgeous moss-rock fireplace in the middle of the home. During winter snowstorms we love watching the walls dance up with the fireplace's warm glow. Feel free to enjoy our massive book, puzzle and game collection, or simply settle in for a movie on the flat screen television. We have a CD player with CDs, DVD player with DVDs, sleds, and snowshoes for five people.
Dining Room - The picture windows surrounding the dining table afford the same jaw dropping views as in the rest of the house. We have spent countless mornings sipping coffee as the sky comes alive.
WiFi - I moved the home’s WiFi location to provide a centralized access point with no dead zones on the property. You’ll enjoy a strong connection for streaming, entertainment and work.
Streamside Picnic Area - We’ve put a picnic table on the banks of our property’s stream. It’s a shaded area nestled in the pine trees, and the sounds are incredibly peaceful, especially during the early summer when the snow begins to melt.
LAUNDRY & COOKING
Kitchen - Our mountain-modern kitchen has everything you need to prepare an incredible meal. It features a range, a full sized fridge/freezer, a microwave, dishwasher, lots of small appliances, cutlery, dishes, utensils, bowls/pots/pans and virtually anything else you may need or want. We also have a blender and latte machine for you!
Laundry - There's a laundry room with a washer and a dryer that you are free to use. Please do! I try to keep the detergent stocked but don't guarantee it, so it may be wise to bring a little of your own.
ESTES PARK'S MANY AWARDS
Estes has become sought after year-round destination over the last five years. In fact, a few years ago the town was named to more than 50 lists of Best, Favorite and Top Destinations. Here are a select few:
- Best Mountain Town - Sunset Magazine
- Top-Rated Vacation Destinations in North America - Expedia
- America's Most Scenic Roads - Travel + Leisure Magazine
- Top 20 Mountain Trips - Sunset Magazine
- America's 15 Most Romantic Cities for Winter Travel - Trip Advisor
- 10 U.S. Places To Travel Before They Get Famous - Huffington Post
- The Ten Most Beautiful Towns in CO - TheCultureTrip.com
- The Most Romantic Weekend Getaway in Every State - Thrillist.com
- 50 Small Towns Across America with the Most Beautiful Fall Foliage - Country Living
- The 15 Most Beautiful Spots in CO - TheCrazyTourist.com
- Best Towns in Colorado - Niche
- Top 10 Adult Spring Break Destinations in America Revealed - World Property Journal
Here's what National Geographic Magazine wrote out our little slice of paradise:
"Rising up along the Continental Divide, Rocky Mountain National Park is a natural overachiever, with 77 mountains above 12,000 feet—including 14,259-foot Longs Peak—and a span of alpine tundra. Snow-packed granite peaks tower over a calm of ponderosa pines, which ease toward meadow and meandering stream—four ecosystems within one park. It’d be simple to cover them all on a drive along scenic Trail Ridge Road, but why not channel Enos Mills and hike some of the 355 miles of trails instead? You might hear elk bugling or spy otters swimming among lily pads."
Guest access
Guests will have access to our entire property:
Parking for 3 cars
10 acres of land
Private stream
Deck with grill
1 king, 1 queen, 1 full bedroom
Kitchen, dining and living area
Other things to note
NO SMOKING
The home and entire property are designated as no smoking due to high fire danger. If you wish to smoke even outside, this is not a good fit.
ROAD CONDITIONS
This home is isolated. It's toward the end of a dirt road in the high mountains, and we get big storms each winter. The road *is* plowed, but if there's a huge blizzard, it may not be plowed exactly when you need it to be plowed. We cannot assist if you get stuck (there's no cell service), so do not book this cabin between October and May unless you are comfortable with winter driving and have AWD/4WD and snow tires, all-terrain tires or chains.
NONPAYING GUESTS
Insurance forbids nonpaying and non-registered guests on property. Exterior security camera present to pick up nonpaying guests and deter parties.
AIR CONDITIONER
Like nearly every other home in town, there’s no A/C. Thankfully mountain air blows down from the high peaks and will cool down the place quickly in the evenings if you open the windows.
BEARS
Do NOT leave food in your car! Bears frequent this area often and can break in!
