To the east of our home here in Montana lies Idaho. While Idaho log homes can be found through out the state, the highest concentration is probably in the Northern reaches of the state pan handle which extends all the way to the border of British Columbia, Canada. Rugged mountains, lakes, and wilderness is suited for a home made from logs or timber. I once heard Bonner’s Ferry, Idaho described as just the kind of place you would expect to find someone like ‘Grizzly Adams’.

While the word wilderness brings to mind small hunting and fishing cabins, there are also huge estates. The ski town of Sun Valley was brought to the big screen in the movie “Sun Valley Serenade”, starring Sonja Henie and John Payne. Luxury log buildings of all sorts can be seen through out the movie.

Sun Valley Log Home

One very popular location is Coeur d’Alene. Located right along the interstate this town offers easy access to both Spokane, WA and Missoula, MT. Lake Coeur d’Alene and Ponderay Lake further north are hot spots for log homes in Idaho. For lake front properties some log home builders in Idaho have had to barge the log and material package across the lake. Then the logs and materials are off loaded on the shore near the job site. Just about anywhere in the US water front is attractive to own.

Alpine Log Home Plan

When building in areas around Idaho it is important to note snow load. A town such as Island Park, ID would have a much higher snow load requirement than one south of Boise. Though only a small town, in Island Park the snow can pile up many many feet deep over a cold wet winter. The warm thermal mass of logs, especially Western Red Cedar also helps to keep cabins warm and cozy in the winter months.

Idaho is an attractive place to retire for people from California and other places around the country. One log home builder located in Northern Idaho built exclusively for customers who lived out of state. With good communication, emailing of photos, videos of the construction process, and a quality building team the homes were completed on time.

One more claim to fame for Idaho is the presence of a small part of Yellowstone National Park. Areas on the very edge of Montana, such as the Reynold’s Pass area and Island Park are home to some very exclusive people. Fancy log home plans  can be seen from Highway 287 and other side roads in the area. If you are considering settling down in an Idaho log home be sure visit more than one area. Places closer to the mountains are colder and wetter than areas such as Idaho Falls.

Cowboy Log Homes