22 beautiful acres with 2015-built alternative home 10 miles south of Helena on North Fork Travis Creek Road. This is a special property - a little-known, quiet corner of Montana in Helena's back yard - the gateway to Black Hall Meadow and the Black Mountain Inventoried Roadless Area - under the shadow of Red Mountain - right next to the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route. The north 11 acres is open, south-facing, breezy, grassy meadow punctuated by a cool, shady aspen grove with water oozing from the gentle hillside in the Spring. Wild onion, twinflower, heather, sedge, gentian, iris, geranium, camas, and shooting star abound in the the meadow and along the creek. The south 11 acres is quiet, moist, spruce and fir woods bordered by thousands of contiguous acres of Forest Service land and filled with fairy slipper orchid and Indian paintbrush. North Fork Travis Creek meanders from west to east across the bottom of the meadow in and out of alder, thimbleberry, and willow. Thick vegetation along the creek provides cover for elk calving. Lots of room for grazing a few horses. Wonderful opportunity for gardening or a permaculture-designed homestead. > 22.09 acres; approx. 465' (east< >west) x 2065' (north< >south) > approx. 50% south-facing meadow, 50% north-facing and level wooded, year-round North Fork Travis Creek roughly bisects property flowing from west to east; water rights included > bordered on south boundary by Forest Service > North Fork Travis Creek Road dead ends at trailhead to Black Hall Meadow and the Black Mountain Inventoried Roadless Area > 20 minute drive to Blackfoot Brewery and downtown Helena > Home built in 2015 by energy efficiency design expert Terry Davenport/Natural Housebuilders of Victor, MT > 903 square feet interior space > 330 square foot deck > off-grid 1.65 kW solar electric system; sealed batteries; top-of-line inverter/charge controller; power available on east boundary for grid-tied/net metering. > passive solar heat + wood stove (stove included in sale); 80% glass on south wall > Andersen composite-framed windows > thermal mass - 12" thick concrete-filled, insulated "Faswall" blocks on north-east-west walls and approx. 20% south wall; in winter - walls act as a "solar battery" by absorbing solar heat during the day and radiating heat back to interior space during the night; in summer - walls moderate interior temperatures by absorbing cool temperatures during night and through earth-bermed walls and cooling interior space during the day > 60' x 6" diameter "earthtube" below frost line provides earth-tempered (55 degree F) air to house interior summer and winter north wall bermed to about 5', east and west walls sloping berm > 2" blueboard insulation on all exterior walls > 8" blueboard insulation on roof; heat-reflective membrane under metal roofing to minimize solar heat gain through roof in summer > roof overhang designed to maximize solar gain in winter, minimize in summer (house feels air-conditioned in the summer) > during the past two winters, inside temperature has not gone below about 50 degrees F overnight with or without wood stove burning during the day and evening > rainwater/snowmelt catchment system - 500 gallon water tank in house - instantaneous hot water - filtration system > designed for composting toilet > designed for greywater system > 500 gal. propane tank (rented) > propane hot water, range
This property is off market, which means it's not currently listed for sale or rent on Zillow. This may be different from what's available on other websites or public sources.
