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Off topic, maybe? But...

Something I've been thinking about for while is trying to find the highest elevation home in Colorado, which would undoubtedly make it the highest home in the USA.

After hours spent on Google Earth, I propose that this house is the highest in the state. The elevation here is 11,690 feet (quite close to treeline, as one can see in the satellite view).

https://goo.gl/maps/bFC4FfTHMxm

Now, I do have some parameters I've been working with. This supposed "highest home" needs to be a house that is accessible by vehicle year-round. I'm not counting huts, cabins, fire lookouts, basically anything where access becomes increasingly difficult in the winter. It must be a home where somebody could theoretically live year-round and be able to live a "regular" life (ie, no mountain man, survivor, live off the land lifestyle).

I was in the area a few weeks ago and decided to pay a visit to the home. Here is what it looks like. It is most definitely a vacation home, not lived in year-round, as were most homes in this subdivision. Finding the highest full time, year round residence in CO would take a little more effort, and would involve physically driving around the area, trying to figure out which homes are lived in full time and which ones are vacation rentals. Seems like more trouble than it's worth.



I am aware of this house that sits high on a ridge at Telluride Ski Resort at 12k feet, but given its status as more of an event center than a regular home, I do not count it as the highest home in CO: https://goo.gl/maps/HH9Bg1AAtUJ2. Plus, it's not accessible by regular access roads.

So, SPers, elevation nerds, can YOU prove me wrong and find a higher house than the one I propose?

I created an account just to reply to this post. I have been researching this topic for years now. This house you located on Prunes Way (Rialto Rd) is the highest verified permanently accessible residence in the United States, however, at the end of Fourmile Creek Rd, Park County Rd 18, there is a small subdivision called Silver Horseshoe Acres. In this subdivision, there are a few small cabins between the elevations of 11,300ft and 11,827ft. 393 Silver Horseshoe Rd is the highest residence in the country, however I'm not sure how accessible this area is in the winter.

Neat!

Here's a high one: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climax,_Colorado

Climax used to be the highest town in the US, but no one lives there anymore.

I followed up a hint from the Wikipedia page for Climax (formerly the second-highest post office in the US), and found that the highest town (incorporated municipality) in the US is Alma, CO: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alma,_Colorado (with some caveats explained on the wikipedia page)

At the end of the first full paragraph, there is a reference to Mountain View Drive - this is exactly the neighborhood mentioned by McCannster.

This area is a good candidate. Unless some Dr No type has built a private road up a mountaintop, any home meeting McCannster's criteria would have to be near a town.

nartreb wrote:This area is a good candidate. Unless some Dr No type has built a private road up a mountaintop, any home meeting McCannster's criteria would have to be near a town.

There are actually several permanently inhabited homes around 11,400 feet near Hoosier Pass between Breckenridge and Alma. Someone whom I was working with all summer lives there year round (houses in Breck are extremely expensive, but it's a little cheaper neare the pass, thus some people live there and commute to Breck for work).

The home McCannister points out in in the same general area.

I just built a tiny home that technically has access, fully insulated, solar powered with water at 11'805 feet on top of Holy Cross Jeep trail on privately owned land.

This makes it the highest habitable residence in the U.S.

Any structure at that kind of altitude will have limited access in winter.

Denver wrote:I just built a tiny home that technically has access, fully insulated, solar powered with water at 11'805 feet on top of Holy Cross Jeep trail on privately owned land.

Sounds like an invite.

Holy smokes, why? I can't even sleep when I'm in Aspen, let alone camped on the side of a 14er. I can't imagine owning a home up that high and always being tired. Yeah, yeah, I know everybody is different and acclimatizing helps, but after a week of no sleep in Aspen, it was time to go. My threshold apparently sits somewhere between 7,800' and 6,000'. All I know is I sleep just fine in Glenwood Springs, but not Aspen.

36 Robertson Lane is a buildable lot in Quandary Village / Northstar in Summit County a neighborhood which all homes are between 3400 and 3550 meters. The last time I was on that lot it was around 11,600+ ft. It is very close to the elevation of Mountain View and the county plows the street year round to the last home on Robertson Lane. If you built on 36 Robertson Lane, I assume the county would plow higher. There is a few hundred homes in this area in what might be considered the most dense neighborhood above 3400meters.

I think another interesting question would be:

What is the highest home served by Public Water, Natural Gas, Electricity and public sewer. I think you would find it in one of two places, Upper Warriors Mark (10,200ft) or up Baldy Road (10,300ish) in Breckenridge, if that doesn't cut it, look too Leadville.

buster wrote:What is the highest home served by Public Water, Natural Gas, Electricity and public sewer. I think you would find it in one of two places, Upper Warriors Mark (10,200ft) or up Baldy Road (10,300ish) in Breckenridge, if that doesn't cut it, look too Leadville.

Alma is higher than that and has all of those services.

Scott wrote:

buster wrote:What is the highest home served by Public Water, Natural Gas, Electricity and public sewer. I think you would find it in one of two places, Upper Warriors Mark (10,200ft) or up Baldy Road (10,300ish) in Breckenridge, if that doesn't cut it, look too Leadville.

Alma is higher than that and has all of those services.

There you go! I thought with all the propane tanks they didn't have NAT-Gas, but called Town Hall and they do.

They are just missing Fiber Internet, everything else is full service as an option in the Town Limits.

I stumbled on this thread when googling this exact topic…

There seems to be a debate on here as to what constitutes a ‘house.’ Once you get above 9000’ elevation in Colorado, -nothing- is guaranteed ‘accessible’ by car 365 days a year. Whether it’s a day, a week, or a couple months, snow storms at higher altitudes can be big. If someone accesses their house by snow machine, foot, helicopter, etc. in the winter, that doesn’t exclude it from being a functional house.

I take a broader view of what constitutes a house. Off the grid? No problem. Heck, there are normal houses at 5000’ which are off the grid and occupied year-round. Does it need to be a primary residence? No. Anyone who owns a house at high elevation, probably has -another- house someplace else.

Having said all of that — There are three houses I would add to this list. All of them are in the San Juans. All have electricity, plumbing, etc., and are used throughout the year.

1. Opus Hut near Ophir Pass. It’s not technically a private residence, but it is a fully-functioning living space/lodge at 11,600 feet. It could easily be a private residence.

2. Bonnie Bell Cabin, above Animas Forks. Visible as you drive over Cinnamon Pass towards Silverton. It’s also a rental, but it IS a functioning house and well-known in the region. Elevation is approximately 11,900 - 11,950.

3. Unnamed stone house above Picayune Gulch, across from Burns Gulch (and in the general proximity of Bonnie Belle Cabin): Approximate elevation: 12,000’. Also visible as you drive over Cinnamon Pass towards Silverton. Local rumor is that this is the highest elevation house in the United States.

All of these house are visible on Google Maps. I would venture to say the San Juan County has the Top 2 highest altitude houses in the United States.