For $17 Million, You Can Buy This Doomsday Mountain Hideaway (If You Can Find It)

Even before the coronavirus pandemic, escape was a red-hot pursuit. Surviving off-grid filled millionaire bucket lists, inspired by expedition TV shows like Survivor, Hunters, Buying Alaska, Naked & Afraid, Hunting Hitler, and Running Wild With Bear Grylls.

Now, a secure sustainable luxury hideaway comes on line—a 350-acre survivalist retreat high in the Appalachian Mountains. Called High Mountain, this panoramic perch is extremely secluded, nearly two clicks from the nearest neighbor. 

No one will find you here unless you want them to, say listing brokers Rob Drag and Jason Gentry of Premier Sotheby's International Realty.

High Mountain offers the greatest luxury of all—peace and quiet. “[This property] is so far removed from the general population, you can hear a pin drop,” says Drag. “Every star in the sky can be seen, every night.”

Talk about social distancing. Listed for $17 million, the secret Virginia compound is surrounded by national forest—powered by a wind turbine and solar panels with a helipad, landing strip, multiple cabins, and auxiliary buildings constructed for total independent living. The survivalist estate is tailor-made for an über private citizen, quirky entrepreneur, D.C. politician, prominent CEO or even a paranoid doomsday billionaire.

“With the current coronavirus events, this property would appeal to survivalists looking to escape a pandemic or major natural disaster such as an EMP (electromagnetic pulse) or a nuclear event,” says Drag.

See?! It’s not an absurd notion anymore—especially when 24-7 Covid-19 news sometimes feels like End Times. Remember the U.S. government’s secret bomb shelter (”Project Greek Island”) in the basement of West Virginia’s Greenbrier Resort, in case of nuclear strike? The Washington Post also uncovered the clandestine construction of 33 subterranean bunker complexes built since 9/11. Plus, safe rooms and international billionaire bunkers are all the rage.

The term survivalist has taken on an apocalyptic, conspiracy theory vein—thanks to infamous loners like Eric Rudolph and Ted Kaczynski (the “Unabomber”). But the coronavirus era flips this narrative—fear is now mainstream. Total mountain seclusion needn’t be a weirdo outcast thing. It can be a multimillionaire hideaway in an over-stimulated world, too.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own your own private mountain,” adds Drag. “With an unprecedented level of security and privacy, High Mountain will attract the discerning buyer who wants to custom design a complete off-the-grid lifestyle.”

High Mountain was originally conceived as a secure community of estate homes. The anonymous current owner (a marketing and real estate development investor) had other ideas.

He acquired the parcels over 25 years, investigated faraway neighbors and hired a security defense firm to the protect perimeters. The result: an unconventional deal—a gated and cloistered mountain for sale. Properties like this are hard to find, literally (and intentionally).

“[With] the national forest border, rural and remote location, and relatively few private neighbors, the property essentially acts as a secure compound,” says Gentry. “High Mountain’s elevation [means] trespassers would have an incredibly tough time making it through the steep cliffs and dense foliage.”

The expansive property sprawls across a north-south ridge with long-range valley views of sunrises and sunsets, natural foliage, and options for hunting and recreational activities.

Buildings and sustainable resources are strategically scattered around the estate—three residential cabins, multipurpose auxiliary structures, helipad, airstrip, radio antenna, hangar, redundant water sources, and off-the-grid solar and wind power installations.

“The landing strip and hangar are designed for a helicopter and/or small (non jet) airplanes that can land on the grass airstrip,” says Gentry. “The capability to land a private jet exists within a reasonable distance from the property.”

Each cabin is designed in a different style, with views from virtually every room. Cabin 1 is a wind-and-solar-powered one bedroom (plus a loft). A traditional cabin with southern charm, it includes an updated kitchen, three-bay garage, and a wrap-around porch that overlooks a fish pond. There’s also a planting bed for growing fresh produce.

Cabin 2 is a more contemporary four-bedroom, two-bath structure with a charming stone fireplace, full-length porch and two-bay garage. Cabin 3 is a rustic two bedroom plus a loft with vaulted ceilings, two full baths, two half baths, two stone fireplaces as well as a walkout basement with sitting room.

“Since there’s plenty of privacy between cabins it’s perfect for a wealthy politician or successful business entrepreneur who wants a safe place not only for themselves, but for their family as well,” says Gentry. 

“With a total of nine bedrooms, six full baths, two half baths, and an additional five outbuildings, the next caretaker of High Mountain truly has an endless possibility of options,” Gentry adds.

Although solar and wind provides power to only one of the cabins, it’s designed for future replication across the property. The estate also includes multiple working wells and natural-fed water sources.

“It has an ample supply of water and MRE’s (meals ready to eat),” says Drag. “It is important to understand that one could live on this mountain for 30+ years and never have to leave.”

Don’t tell the Ted Ted Kaczynski that.