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- A 22-acre, fully off-grid Tahoe-area compound with 1,000 feet of Yuba River frontage is.
- The estate has a 3,200 sq ft main house and a 1,000 sq ft apartment above the saloon.
- In winter, access is by snowcat or sled from the gated Towle Mountain entrance.
A quiet mountain compound near Sugar Bowl Ski Resort has hit the market for $1.3 million, offering 22 acres of privacy along a 1,000-foot stretch of the Yuba River and an outdoor lifestyle that blends rustic charm with comfort.
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In a market where many luxury buyers chase views and square footage, the Sierra Nevada property offers something harder to find: a fully off-grid retreat with river frontage, guest cabins and a luxury saloon built for entertaining.
The 3,200-square-foot residence at 10825 Lola Montez Road in Soda Springs, about 90 minutes from Sacramento via Interstate 80, includes three bedrooms and four bathrooms, but the listing describes it more like a private Sierra camp than a conventional home. The estate sits within the gated Towle Mountain community and includes three cabins, a workshop, a 1,000-square-foot apartment above a saloon and direct access to the Yuba River.
Listing agent Samantha Bass of Sierra Sotheby’s International Realty said the setting is what makes the property stand out.
“This one’s really special because it hugs the Yuba River, which the owners love for swimming and fishing,” she said.
Sense of place
The river — which swells with spring snowmelt — and surrounding wilderness give the property a strong sense of place.
“You can see the big rush (of water in the spring), and then in the summer we get a nice deep swimming hole and have a large boulder overlook where we have picnics. You can get a bird’s eye view,” seller Ginny Elhoff said. “The spring is beautiful. And then in summer, you get to swim and pan for gold.”
The area is rich with wildlife, hiking opportunities and wildflowers. The property’s previous owner, Laird Blackwell, is a professor and author known for his wildflower field guides.
“We’re also a big wildflower location,” Elhoff said. “The prior owner used to be a biology teacher and would do tours here all the time. So we have that water entity along with all the big pine trees, over 20 different varieties of conifers.”
Bass added that the property feels secluded but remains within reach of Truckee and the surrounding hiking and ski country.
“It’s just a really cool kind of private community up there, and everything is off the grid,” she said. “There are just thousands of acres of wilderness,” Buss said.
The property features a cluster of living spaces designed for family and guests. The listing states the three cabins each have one bedroom and one bathroom, with kitchens, fireplaces, soaking tubs and covered decks in two of the units. One cabin, known as Emma’s Cabin, overlooks a wildflower meadow and the river.
The estate’s centerpiece is a speakeasy-style of saloon designed as a private entertainment space. It includes a custom cherry wood-and-granite bar, a kegerator, beer taps, a wine room, a pool table and a vintage 1907 wood stove. Elhoff said the room was designed for company and community.
“We call it the Common House (because) it’s a gathering spot for neighbors,” she said. “We all get together, do meals and drinks. It’s just fun, a place to see everybody.”
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Above the saloon is the “tree house,” a 1,000-square-foot apartment surrounded by windows.
“It’s up in the trees, so the whole dining space is surrounded by windows on all four sides,” she said. “The table just sits like it’s up in a tree.”
Off-grid living
The property is fully self-sustaining, with solar power, generators, propane, septic and a shared spring-fed well.
“We have two solar panels, and then we do have backup generators — in case you don’t get sun for a few days, like in winter. We have an artesian well that can run year-round, beautiful water, tastes great,” Elhoff added. “We’re on a septic (and) we have no electric. We’re not with PG&E. That’s all by ourselves.”
Winter access makes the estate especially unusual. Roads are not plowed, so owners and guests reach the property by snow cat or sled from the gate.
“This one’s a little more like you got to be a little hardier — at least in the winter,” Bass said. “This is an amazing summer vibe for anyone, but winter, if you want to be there, it’s real.”
That rugged access is part of the appeal for buyers seeking a true escape rather than a weekend cabin with neighbors in sight. The setting offers direct proximity to alpine recreation, including nearby trails to Lola Montez Lake and access to ski resorts around Donner Summit.
Lola Montez Lake is close to the property, Elhoff said. It’s a small, scenic alpine lake that the owners reach by driving ATVs or four-wheel-drive vehicles partway up the mountain before hiking the final half-mile to the scenic alpine lake, often bringing coolers, picnics, kayaks and paddleboards for summer outings.
Sellers Bill and Ginny Elhoff founded Reactor Services, a nuclear consulting and support company. The couple has owned the Soda Springs property for about 20 years, Ginny Elhoff said, and used it as a seasonal retreat while expanding and improving it over time. They are selling because the distance from their East Coast home has become too much.
Still, the emotional attachment is clear.
“It is a special place, and we really hope that a family or somebody gets it that enjoys it,” Ginny, a former middle school teacher, said.
At $1.3 million, the property occupies a niche that Bass said may be more attainable than many mountain estates.
“People want something private and secluded, and this price point isn’t a huge barrier to entry like some of these other homes near Lake Tahoe,” she said.
The likely buyer, she said, is someone with an adventurous streak who values privacy, outdoor access and room for a multigenerational retreat. The property could serve as a private family compound, a corporate getaway, an event venue or a legacy investment, according to the listing.
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