Our Duck Lake home is a family-friendly, warm and inviting three bedroom (plus 3 more downstairs!) hideaway with all the comforts of home. We (Don and Irene) bought our lake-front lot several years ago as a place to park a camper and enjoy this lovely area alone or with our children and grandchildren. It saddens me to say, that my wonderful, loving husband has graduated to heaven, where his views are much lovelier than Duck Lake.
We loved the view from this lot (the lake to the east, & Glacier Park & Chief Mountain on the west), the neighbors (many professionals from all over the northwest), the fishing ( Duck Lake is one of Montana's premier trout-fishing lakes!), and world class magnificent scenery (Glacier National Park with all of its' outdoor activities) that feeds the soul. God's handiwork and His incomparable creative genius is so evident to us that it is hard to imagine not being totally in awe of this Creator of the wonderful universe! And you can enjoy this paradise without the long lines, and hustle and bustle of crowds of people! We decided to build, then found a nice home to move onto a styrofoam-formed daylight basement on our large lot. The large master bedroom has a king-sized bed, and private bath. This bedroom has a lake view. Bedroom #2 has a four-poster queen bed literally 'fit for a queen'. Bedroom #3 is our "kid's room & features a bunk bed with a full bed on the bottom and a single on the top. Children's books and family games are stored in the dresser there. In the closet there is a single 'taco' bed, and a port-a-cribs. A full main bath (with heated tile floor) has a tub and shower, large living room, dining room, and full kitchen complete the main floor. A small laundry area with washer and dryer is next to the kitchen. The walk-out, daylight basement has three more bedrooms, (1 king bed, and 2 queen beds), a bathroom with a shower, and a family room with a queen hide-a-bed, and a "game" area with a round table and chairs.
As all the homes in this area, we get our water from a well. And as all the homes in the area, the water has a high iron content. A water conditioner, iron filters, and a whole house water filter have been installed, but there is a slight iron smell detectable. This water has been tested by a state-approved lab and is safe for drinking. The septic is a holding tank that must be pumped--so water conservation is appreciated.
Large windows in every room brings the outdoors 'in'. There is a deck on the lakeside accessible from the dining room on the main floor. Another large deck cantilevers the lake shore by the garage area! This is a historic deck--having been "rescued" --re-purposed---from a remodeling project at Yellowstone Park. It graced the front of the Old Faithful lodge for many years. It is fun to think about the thousands of pairs of feet from all across the world that strolled, skipped, or ran across its planks! Watching the sun come up with a hot cup of coffee or hot chocolate on the deck overlooking the lake couldn't get any better! It is also not uncommon to see wildlife stroll or run across the yard, and certainly always lots of water fowl on the lake, as well as large trout jumping. A word of caution, however. Grizzly & other bears have been sighted not far from our place. Be bear aware!! (Bear spray in cabinet above clothes dryer) Cows and horses roam this area as well, and a few friendly neighborhood dogs. This is rural Montana, where livestock and wildlife outnumber people! A neighbor down the gravel road even has a tame bison as a pet.
We also have a small area between the house and the lake that is set up with a small fire pit and chairs, and some rustic seating logs where you can build a fire, roast hot dogs, or marshmallows (s'mores! Mm, mm!) get out the guitar and sing "Home on the Range", "How Great Thou Art" or any other tune at the top of your lungs if you should choose to. Neighbors would smile, or maybe even sing with you!
The iron pickets in the front fence were salvaged from the recent construction of the new East Glacier bridge. We love the historic touches to our place! The downstairs king bedroom furniture comes from the Copper King Mansion in Butte, Mt. Some of the artwork on the walls is ufrom a famous actor’s (initials B.A. 😁) home in Big Sky, MT.
A curved driveway around the lakeside can be used for parking vehicles and/or boats, and there is space to park in the front by the road as well.. Glacier National Park is about 15 minutes away. Hiking into pristine mountain areas with roaring waterfalls, snowy banks, nonchalant wild game, majestic trees and beautiful delicate flowers is an experience of a lifetime! Seasonal restaurants, small shops, as well as St. Mary's Lake and other attractions are close by as well. Bring warm clothing if you decide to go over the famous 'Going to the Sun' highway, ( a 'must see')! Snow, icy waterfalls and wild flowers, and wild life plus PEOPLE do co-exist nicely here!
We pray that all who come and stay sense the peace we feel when we and friends and family have enjoyed our Duck Lake home. We welcome you to "Big Sky Country", and know you will fall in love with the views and friendly neighbors you will meet. We have an assortment of fishing poles and gear for those who want try casting a few lines!
Our home is always a “work in progress”—changing and adding decor and amenities. It is located on a gravel road, so do give us some grace if you see a little dust. We work hard to mitigate that.