Nestled away in a quiet gated community within the Mendocino National Forest, this outrageously spectacular property straddles a heavily forested ridge top halfway up the peak of Mount Anthony, known by the Natives as “Hatchet Mountain” due to the distinct shape of a hatchet that only becomes visible when it snows. This is a postcard of the view of Hatchet Mountain from Round Valley. If you look closely, you can see it distinctly outlined by the snow-capped peak:
Almost 7000’ tall, it’s the highest mountain in all of Mendocino County. It provides the most heavenly views of sunset over Covelo/”Round Valley”–a large, fertile, oblong-circular plain surrounded by mountains and encircled by the Eel River, reminiscent of the legendary capital city of Atlantis as described by Plato! Here is the view from the ridge top of the property:
To the indigenous population before colonization, this lush valley (laid out like a giant medicine wheel) was indeed like the fabled Atlantis/pre-diluvial Garden of Eden, rich in beauty, wildlife, food, water, building materials and other natural resources, where the people coexisted relatively peacefully since time immemorial.
Located in the heart of the “Emerald Triangle” (internationally renowned marijuana growing capital), these secluded 80 acres (3 separate but conjoined parcels, each with developed gardens) are an ideal site for a vineyard or orchard but particularly for a large-scale commercial cannabis farm/resort as this historically suppressed medicine is on the verge of blossoming into a multi-trillion dollar industry. At an elevation of 3000’-3450’ feet, this park-like estate (click here for GPS coordinates) has literally tons of water, the basic infrastructure, and the perfect climatic conditions for growing high-grade cannabis outdoors, as you can tell by these very healthy multi-pound behemoths:
Because the property extends down from the top of the ridge, crops may be grown in full sun completely organically without worry of any runoff from any future neighbors that might contaminate the land with pesticides, herbicides, and other chemicals. Good to know that Mendocino County has banned fracking and was the first county in the US to ban genetically engineered crops, yet for years has had some of the most permissive cannabis cultivation guidelines and building codes in all of California, which just became the world’s largest legal marijuana market. As prohibition wanes and fuel prices continue to rise, expensive, unsustainable, energy-intensive, emission-producing indoor growing is quickly becoming obsolete, and the future “green goldmines” will inevitably be well-sited outdoor farms.
This remote and private hideaway (full of like-minded neighbors) has outrageous potential for development and fantastic views in all directions. Despite the mountainous terrain, it has some of the flattest, most easily developable land (loaded with great home, garden, and pond sites), in the entire subdivision. This happens to be a dream site for alternative energy enthusiasts, with great potential for solar, hydro, and wind power. It comes equipped with a discreet array of solar panels and accessories. Being located inland at a high elevation with great drainage means that it is safe from rising sea levels and floods. Furthermore, the effects of earthquakes are minimized by the serpentine clay soil, and thanks to the Round Valley vortex that circulates the air from the coast, it’s even considered a relative safe zone in the event of a nuclear catastrophe. It also has great cell phone reception, unlike many other remote off-the-grid locations.
Bordering the Mendocino National Forest gives it an extended backyard of almost a million acres loaded with a wide variety of wildlife where nature lovers enjoy hiking, biking, camping, riding horses & off-road vehicles, rock climbing & collecting, snowboarding, snowmobiling, hunting, fishing, swimming, kayaking, and inner-tubing in the rivers. This property (and the subdivision as a whole) doesn’t merely border the National Forest with its lovely and permanently protected scenic views; it is completely surrounded by it. The land is part of the old Bauer ranch subdivision that existed before the Mendocino National Forest was created around it. It was one of the oldest settlements located on one of the choicest sites in the area with some of the richest grazing lands. Out of all the properties available in this “pocket” of the National Forest when the ranch was first subdivided, the upper half was the first choice of one of the first buyers—the elders I bought the property from, back in the year 2000.
Here are a couple of aerial shots of the ridge top, taken from a helicopter:
There are five developed (horizontally drilled) year-round springs, mostly on the south slope from which flow year-round some of the cleanest, healthiest drinking water. As you might have suspected from all the tall trees established there, ridge tops are known to be the best places to drill vertical wells, if even more potable water is desired. The top of the ridge is loaded with timber, some very mature firs, pines, oaks, madrones, manzanitas, numerous fruit trees—plums, elderberries, cherries, and (of course) bushels of cannabis:
After the rains, edible mushrooms like chanterelles, morels, honey mushrooms, matsutakes, and even psychedelic ones may be found there. There are more than 500 types of edible mushrooms that grow wild in Mendocino County. Here’s a shot (from the south slope) of another gift from the rain–a double rainbow…
Even without the magic mushrooms, being up on the top of the ridge makes you feel like you’re the king of the hill riding a giant ship floating in the clouds.
If the idea of being high and floating in the clouds appeals to you, chances are that you will appreciate this small but extremely unique & exquisitely sculpted circular earthen home that is completely fireproof and stays cool all summer long, even without a fan. Click here for more info/photos of it on my blog, or here for my Facebook page…
Close by, there is a deluxe 32’ x 20’ foot long greenhouse (with a two foot deep topsoil floor) sheathed with double-walled polycarbonate panels topped with a 40+ foot dragon that opens its wings to vent it, heated by a large built-in masonry heat-retention oven that doubles as 5-tray seed warmer in the winter.
If desired, the greenhouse (built with pressure-treated 2x6s) could be sheathed and converted into a regular house or seasonally covered with tarps and used as a drying room.
There is also an elegant 120 sq. ft. (building code-exempt) guest room with a small deck,
a storage trailer with a semi-enclosed deck and external roof, and a welded pyramidal outhouse called a “poopamid” used for time-transport while creating fertilizer, as well as an immense, relatively flat grassy plateau perfect for planting/greenhouses, building, raising livestock/horses, creating another pond, or potentially for use as a runway/launch pad for aerial transport with an ultralight, motorized hang glider, helicopter, hot air balloon, jet pack, space ship, etc.
For those using automobiles, along with a well-maintained easement road, there is a private road below (with a private entrance) that forms the dam of the pond, connects with the easement road, and continues up to the ridge top.
The platform where I was standing when I took this next picture (looking at the dam from across the pond) would be a stupendous site for a gazebo…
Two ravines were dammed to create this magnificent pond/lake that holds close to a million gallons of water. Due to the well-compacted blue serpentine clay, it doesn’t leak and no pond liner is needed. Nothing like cooling down in the heat of the day with a swim, or kayaking with a friend on this huge secluded pond under a full moon on a cool summer night with a great buzz in the midst of awesome scenery like this…
Same view during the wet season:
This is one of the biggest ponds you’ll find in this mountainous terrain. Besides the inherent beauty that attracts lots of wildlife, it’s perfect for irrigation, aquaculture (raising fish), swimming, kayaking, social gatherings, fire protection (helped save the community during the 2012 & 2018 fires), etc.
The whole hillside serves as a giant rainwater collector so only a minimal amount of rainfall is enough to fill the pond.
There are several other potentially large pond sites available—extremely rare for a mountainous property. Due to bureaucratic regulations that have little to do with sustainability, even small ponds are not necessarily so easy to build nowadays, plus they often leak. That’s why it’s a tremendous advantage to have such a massive, preexisting, time-tested pond—no time nor money wasted dealing with a permit process, environmental impact or engineering studies, inspection(s), license & registration fees, rain tax or whatever else they require nowadays to construct one.
Beautiful in all seasons, here is the pond as viewed from above during summer:
And this is what it looks like in winter after a bit of snow:
Western view of the large plateau my wife used as a track for jogging:
Even in the wintertime, the daytime temperature stays relatively warm and the snow melts quickly, especially on the south side.
The south-sloping hillside (“the front yard”) is predominantly grassland that extends down past the pond to the Black Butte River where reportedly some of the highest concentrations of Native American artifacts in California were found. Here’s a view of the sunny southern slope looking east:
In case you couldn’t guess what those green dots are in the center…
The north side of the ridge (“the back yard”) borders the Mendocino National Forest where there is this stunning view of Round Valley with the Eel River in the foreground:
A few hours hike east up the ridge road leads to the peak of Hatchet Mountain where a lookout is located. Check out the amazing 360-degree panoramic view here…
An hour’s hike west down the ridge road (the ancient ”highway” that passes right through this “sacred site” littered with arrowheads) leads to “The Falls”, one of the area’s most beautiful and popular swimming holes around, flanked by huge boulders with endless cascading waterfalls and lovely multi-colored stones. This is a view of “The Falls” from afar:
Here is closer view of one of everyone’s favorite swimming holes at “The Falls” where the locals enjoy diving off the large boulders in the Eel River:
Picturesque rivers (where salmon, steelhead, and rainbow trout may be found) seem to flow everywhere and there are waterfalls all over the place during the wet season. It’s such a gorgeous drive to and from town…
The Black Butte Campground where the Black Butte River converges with the Eel River is 6 miles (fifteen minutes) away by car or an hour’s hike down the hill. From there, the town of Covelo/Round Valley is another 12 miles away (a half-hour drive) where you can find a few grocery and hardware stores, a couple of gas stations, an airport, a bank, a post office, a mini-storage facility, an excellent Italian restaurant & a few other places to eat, a public library, and an assortment of different schools, organic farms and orchards, and a weekly farmer’s market. It’s also home to a confederation of various Native American tribes.
Although there are only ~475 tribal members, the Round Valley Reservation is one of the largest reservations in the state. There is a health (medical/dental) clinic that is open to all, and a volunteer ambulance service. The nearest hospital is in Willits (42 miles/less than an hour’s drive from Covelo), and helicopter insurance is available very cheaply in case of emergencies. Using the back roads during dry season, one can reach Sacramento by car in two hours. The Pacific coast, The Redwoods, various hot springs, and Santa Rosa are just three hours away, and San Francisco is a 4-hour drive.
Undoubtedly one of the most beautiful properties in all of Mendocino County (which is one of the most beautiful counties in all of California), this magical one-in-a-million estate with its majestic million-dollar views, million-acre “backyard”, million-gallon pond, and multi-million-dollar income potential is now being offered for only $650,000 to the right buyer. (Will finance with half down.) The only reason I’m selling this fabulous rare gem of a property is because I have resettled with my family in Costa Rica where I am working on establishing an earthen eco-village, using the proceeds from the sale of this property. You can read more about this on my blog: www.lavilladearcilla.com or my Facebook page: www.facebook.com/LaVilladeArcilla
Looking forward to hearing from any interested investors. Please feel free to contact me at pyramidiotsavant@yahoo.com for more information or to arrange for a visit…
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