6 captivating homes for stargazers
Telluride, Colorado
Southwest Colorado’s prime dark-sky territory is also prime skiing terrain and this four-bedroom home under the stars is 10 minutes from the Telluride Ski Resort. The post-and-beam contemporary house features a vaulted great room with fireplace, stone floors and wall of windows framing the Wilson Range; an eat-in kitchen; a wet bar; and a primary suite with fireplace, walk-in closet and copper tub.
Outside are a deck, patio, yard and 3 pine-studded acres. $7,925,000. Teddy Errico, LIV Sotheby’s International Realty, (970) 708-5959.
Ketchum, Idaho
Soaring Eagle Retreat is next to the Bald Mountain Ski Area 2 miles from downtown Ketchum, a certified Dark Sky Community. The 1992 four-bedroom log home has a living room with mountain views and river-rock fireplace; a chef’s kitchen with butcher-block island and breakfast nook; and a lavish primary suite with fireplace and deck.
The 205-acre property includes a garden, flowering meadows, a wildlife pond and access to skiing, hiking and cycling. $6,995,000. Trent Jones, Hall & Hall, (208) 622-4133.
Kealakekua, Hawaii
South of the lights of Kailua-Kona on the Kona Coast, this 2005 three-bedroom home is well placed for amateur astronomy. The house features pocket glass doors and a great room integrating kitchen, dining and living areas flowing out to a lanai overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
The 1.1-acre lot includes a pool, hot tub, outdoor kitchen and tropical gardens with fruit and coffee trees; joining the community’s club adds access to a gym, golf and pickleball. $4,250,000. Carrie Nicholson, Hawaii Life/Luxury Portfolio International, (808) 896-9749.
Bar Harbor, Maine
This four-bedroom waterfront bungalow is 15 minutes’ drive from Main Street in a town that minimizes light pollution. The 1940 house has sea and night-sky views, a living room with wood-burning fireplace, a solarium, two kitchens and a large waterside dining room.
The 4.5-acre wooded lot includes gardens, lawns, a treehouse, a beach on the bay and a two-bedroom guest cabin with an open kitchen, living-dining room and wraparound deck. $2,500,000. Carroll Fernald, Legacy Properties Sotheby’s International Realty, (207) 266-1540.
Peacham, Vermont
North-central Vermont is known for inky nights and this six-bedroom farmhouse is 10 minutes from its Northern Skies Observatory. Built in 2010, the home features high ceilings, arched doorways, picture windows and mountain views; a chef’s kitchen with a marble-topped baker’s station; a windowed dining space; a sitting area with a woodstove; a living room with a fireplace; and a sunroom.
Outside are screened porches, two terraces, horse and equipment barns and 108 acres of pasture and woods. $1,690,000. Chris Lang, LandVest Inc., (802) 274-4048.
Taos, New Mexico
This two-story, three-bedroom log cabin stands under the starry skies of the Rocky Mountains, next to national forest land and 20 minutes’ drive from Taos Center. Built in the 1950s and expanded in 2017, it has an open living-dining-kitchen area featuring exposed log walls and ceiling beams and wood-paneled bedrooms.
The 3.08-acre lot includes a detached garage, a large yard, mature trees and its own stretch of the San Fernando River. $459,000. Keith Dowell, Engel & Völkers Taos, (575) 741-1155.
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