1480 Lower Broadview Rd, Estes Park, CO 80517

The moment you turn onto Lower Broadview Road, you sense that you’ve arrived somewhere special. Just two miles west of downtown Estes Park and roughly the same distance from the south entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park, this peaceful setting feels worlds away from the bustle of a town that welcomes millions of visitors each year. Here, the sounds are different—the music you hear is the Big Thompson River flowing just beyond the property. At 1480, you enter through an inviting arched gate and onto a flagstone patio surrounded by a lush, overgrown garden. Step through the front door and you’ll find yourself in what began as an 800-square-foot summer cabin. An additional 1,000 square feet was added in 1996, and over the next 30 years the home was thoughtfully refined by a local wood and bronze sculptor, whose artistry and craftsmanship can be found throughout. The original living room welcomes you with knotty pine walls and oak floors. From there, an elk-antler archway leads into the heart of the home—the kitchen, where the ceiling rises dramatically into a cathedral design crafted from aspen, complete with an aspen ridge beam. The walls combine beetle-kill pine with 100-year-old Pennsylvania barn wood, carefully planed to reveal the rich tones and character of six different woods. An arched window frames the hillside beyond, while the deep-hued slate floor grounds the room with warmth and texture. This is also a wonderful place to watch the wildlife that makes the Rockies so special. From these windows, residents have spotted bobcats, bears, mountain lions, mule deer, elk, and an abundance of smaller wildlife and birds. Two bedrooms, a full bathroom, and a convenient laundry nook complete the main level. One bedroom is part of the original cabin, while the second features beetle-kill pine walls and an aspen ceiling, continuing the home’s distinctive mountain character. A solid walnut log banister post marks the turn toward the stairs, where a stair rail rescued from a local historic building has been lovingly reconfigured for this home. Upstairs is the artist’s private retreat—a spacious master suite, separately keyed from the rest of the house, with its own egress to a deck overlooking the hillside. The master bedroom is truly breathtaking.