Elk Haven

Details & Features

Welcome to Elk Haven – A breathtaking 55-acre estate nestled in the Hood River Valley and the first time on the market for over 50 years. With commanding views of Oregon’s tallest mountain, Mount Hood, low-bank frontage on the East Fork Hood River, and set up for the equestrian lover or discerning buyer looking to find the perfect estate, Elk Haven offers the future owner with complete seclusion, yet only 15 minutes from the mountain town and recreation paradise of Hood River and 10 minutes from the town of Parkdale.

With meadows and wildflowers enveloped by native oak and fir forest and flanked by the East Fork Hood River to the west and towering Mount Hood to the south, Elk Haven is the ideal respite for wildlife and the perfect escape for family, friends, and group entertainment. An incredible offering, this exceptional 55-acre estate, surrounded by private farm and forested parcels, includes a main house constructed in the 1970s, the original farmhouse used by guests or caretakers constructed in 1938, a large covered riding arena, a four-stall barn with tack room, an original hay barn built at the turn of the 20th century, chicken coop, fenced pasture, and smaller two-stall horse barn and pool house. Tieman Creek runs along the eastern flank of the property, and the western flank contains a large, forested island surrounded by the main channel and side channel of the East Fork Hood River. Elk Haven feels completely secluded and offers incredible privacy yet lies only fifteen minutes from the recreational epicenter of Hood River and ten minutes from Parkdale, an excellent cup of coffee, incredible microbrews, wineries, restaurants, farmstands, and all of your grocery and supply needs. Beyond its fence is a sea of over one million acres of public land to enjoy every recreational pursuit that the Hood River Valley and Columbia Gorge are globally renowned for.

Upon coming down the gated drive onto Elk Haven, you will be in complete awe of the stunning beauty and views from the 5,800 sqft 4 bed/3bathroom main residence overlooking meadows, forest, the river, and beyond to Mount Hood. The view from the windows and covered deck tears down the barrier between home and the natural world with its impeccable craftsmanship and layout – A true blend of timeless materials with hand-scribed support beams and mountain lodge feel, where history and lifestyle uniquely come together. Nature abounds around you with deer, wild turkey, migratory songbirds, and the estate’s namesake Rocky Mountain elk herd regularly paying a visit. Enjoy the sights and sounds of the home’s exquisite location and take it all in from the three upstairs bedrooms with a master bedroom on the main floor or the extensive hardwood deck off of the back of the home while listening to the sound of the East Fork Hood River as it tumbles its way down the western property boundary towards the mighty Columbia. Spend the evening under the stars, away from the lights and sounds of the city, off the back deck, or by the inground pool just off the side of the main home. Whichever location you choose to enjoy it from, you will not want to leave.

Consisting of two separate and adjoining tax lots that are in the process of being partitioned, the main residence, swimming pool, pool house, and two-stall horse shed are located on the 45-acre parcel. The 1,300 square foot 2 bed/1bath guest home, 8,400 sqft covered riding arena, 3,200 sqft historic hay barn, 1,200 sqft four-stall horse barn and tack room, machine shop with garage, and chicken coop are on an adjoining 9-acre tax lot but is totally self-contained with water, power, and septic.

Elk Haven provides it all for the discerning owner searching for that all-around outdoor recreational lifestyle. The property is surrounded by extensive hiking and mountain biking trails, trail riding, snowmobiling for hundreds of miles down state and forest service roads near the property, and nearby skiing, hunting, kayaking/whitewater rafting, and fly-fishing in the Hood River’s, Klickitat’s, and White Salmon’s storied trout and steelhead waters.

Location
John Muir, famed naturalist credited with founding the National Park System and Sierra Club, was enamored with Mount Hood from his early days of writing in the late 1800s, referring to Mount Hood as “The Glory of the country.” Muir further wrote, “There stood Mount Hood, in all the glory of the alpine glow looming immensely high…” Muir’s description is indicative of the remarkable presence that Mount Hood offers to the Oregon and Hood River Valley landscape: “It gives the supreme touch of grandeur to all the main Columbia views, rising at every turn, solitary, majestic, awe-inspiring, the ruling spirit of the landscape.”
Mount Hood inspired Muir then, just as it did in guiding Lewis and Clark down the Columbia on their path to the Pacific Ocean, as it did for the native peoples here before, and as it does today for the residents fortunate enough to call this place “Home” and visitors are drawn to the Hood River Valley and Columbia Gorge every year for its recreational, scenic, and lifestyle offerings.
Today, Hood River is a four-season resort town with a population of 8,500 residents in town and 23,000 residents in the county. The area is known for its excellent breweries and wineries, fruit and berry orchards, and multi-sport amenities such as skiing and snowboarding, fly-fishing, mountain biking, kiteboarding, winging, and windsurfing. Straddled between the rainy western lowlands and the arid eastern high plains, the Hood River Valley has a mild climate throughout the year.

Located a little over a one-hour drive from Portland and the PDX International Airport and with a Port of Hood River-owned full-service airfield with a 3,000-foot runway only 10 miles from Elk Haven, Elk Haven is easy to get to. With a small plane, one can land ten miles away at the Ken Jernstedt Airfield FBO’s 3,000 ft runway with complete services.

Family History
Descendants from some of the most prominent families in Portland’s and Oregon’s history, including the Pittocks, Ledbetters, Mills, Ainsworths, and Couchs, the current owners purchased Elk Haven and adjacent acres in the mid-1960s. They moved their family away from the big city of Portland and the banking industry that their family was so prominently known for to find a different life. The family’s impact and entrepreneurial spirit that it had in Portland since the mid-1850s around banking, publishing, development, navigation, and trade continued by making an impact in the Columbia Gorge and were instrumental in the creation of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, purchase of the Mt Hood Railroad, purchase of the Mt. Hood Country Store and transfer to the Dominguez family (Juanita’s) to help them grow their family business, establishment of the Columbia Center for the Arts in Hood River helped in the founding of the Hood River Valley Residents Committee (now Thrive Hood River), and donated property to bring the Hood River Classic Horse Show to the Upper Valley. After over 50 years, the family feels it is time to transfer Elk Haven to the next generation of stewards.

The Main Estate Residence
The famed Oregon architect Marjorie Wintermute designed the 5,800 sqft residence at Elk Haven in 1975. In her skilled design, she was able to include many of the family’s collections into the construction of the residence. The wood flooring in the home is from the old St. Helens Hall (now Oregon Episcopal School) basketball court from downtown Portland on St. Clair Avenue; a cast iron fireplace and light fixtures in the den/office from the old Ainsworth National Bank building (now US Bank) in downtown Portland; hand hewn beams in the kitchen and dining room from a historic barn built in the 1800s from 100 yards from the house; flagstone quarried from the flanks of Mt. Adams from the family’s quarry at 5,500 feet – an estimated 400 tons of Mt. Adams flagstone was used in the construction of the main residence and various buildings and landscaping around the property. Famed glass artist Ed Carpenter crafted the stained-glass windows. Not to be outdone with the house itself, the family hired renowned landscape architect Wallace Kay Huntington to design the gardens around the home and blend the built environment seamlessly with the natural beauty surrounding the home.

Conservation Easement
In 2015, Columbia Land Trust collaborated with the Mills family to place a conservation easement on the property due to its ecological importance within the Hood River watershed. The property includes valuable habitat for aquatic and riparian species in and along the East Fork Hood River, which hosts multiple threatened species of salmon and trout, including chinook and coho salmon and steelhead trout. This reach of the river features a naturally braided channel, and its habitat values have been improved by instream restoration work conducted just upstream. The conservation easement protects the forested area along the river, which protects water quality within the river. Upland species, including elk, deer, mountain lion, and bear, and birds, including raptors, waterfowl, and resident and migratory songbirds, use the diversity of habitat types on the property. The property’s location – on the river corridor and between Middle Mountain and the Mt. Hood National Forest – makes it an important way station for migrating fish, mammals, and birds. The conservation easement also protects the minimally developed agricultural land on the property, providing open space that benefits humans, wildlife, and water quality. A copy of the recorded Conservation Easement can be provided upon request, as well as introductions to Columbia Land Trust staff to better understand the restrictions and allowances of the land under the conservation easement.

Recreation and Lifestyle
Hood River is a recreation connoisseur’s paradise. With 150 days of sunshine a year and an average seasonal snowfall of over 400 inches on Mount Hood’s four ski resorts, there is a lot to do outside. The Hood River area offers resort, cross-country and backcountry skiing, mountaineering, fly-fishing, hunting, snowmobiling, mountain biking, whitewater kayaking, hiking, sailing, kiteboarding, winging, and windsurfing. Originally known for its wind sports on the Columbia River, people from all over the world come to experience this amazing confluence of wind, water, scenery, and talent.

Sitting at an elevation of just over 11,200 feet, Mount Hood is the tallest mountain in Oregon and is located minutes from Elk Haven. With an average annual snowfall of over 400 inches, Mount Hood supports four ski resorts, including Mt. Hood Meadows, Timberline, Ski Bowl, and Cooper Spur.
Residents of Hood River are usually involved with many outdoor pursuits. It is a well-known challenge within the community to accomplish a “trifecta” wherein you ski on Mt. Hood in the morning, go kiteboarding, winging, or windsurfing in the afternoon, and finish off the day with a mountain bike ride along the numerous trails on the outskirts of town. Usually, the day is capped off at one of the many wine-tasting rooms or microbreweries in town.

Fly Fishing
There is excellent fishing for trout, steelhead, salmon, smallmouth bass, and giant sturgeon in the rivers around Elk Haven. While fishing for steelhead and salmon is closed on the East Fork Hood River, you can still fish for trout in your backyard, and there are world-class fisheries within a short drive from your front gate:
Lost and Lawrence Lakes are two stillwater fisheries in Hood River County, approximately 15 miles from Elk Haven. The lakes support healthy populations of rainbows and brook trout and are stocked with planter trout every other year. The lakes are rare in the insect department as they support healthy populations of Hexagenia mayflies (size six mayflies), which only occur in a few lakes and rivers in Oregon.
Famed steelhead, salmon, and trout rivers like the Lower Deschutes, Klickitat, White Salmon, mainstem Hood River, and John Day River are all within 15 minutes to 1 hour from the property, and the Columbia River offers salmon, smallmouth bass, walleye, and giant sturgeon fishing right from town.

Mountain Biking
The Hood River Valley has become a mecca for mountain biking, with a strong biking and trail maintenance community starting to rival the wind sports community and often overlap. There are miles of established biking trails for beginners to the extreme within a few minutes from the property.

Kayaking
From kayaking on the Hood River, White Salmon, and if so bold, the Little White, to name a few, some of the top paddlers in the world call the Columbia Gorge home.

Trail Riding
Over 1,200 miles of trails await you right out the back gate in the Mount Hood National Forest, and the Pacific Crest Trail is 20 minutes away. Combined with the equestrian facilities and trail riding on the property, this is the perfect location for the equestrian-focused buyer.

Summary
Location. History. Beauty. You cannot find a more perfect estate in Hood River to call home. Elk Haven is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire an estate that could be in your family for generations and may never come on the market again.