21 Old Steamboat Road, Long Lake, NY 12847

At the very south end of Long Lake, where the shoreline turns quieter, wilder, and almost entirely undeveloped, this earth-sheltered home sits on 1.75 acres bordering forever-wild State land. Very few places on the lake feel this secluded. You're well off North Point Road here, with little boat traffic, almost no vehicle noise, and scarcely another camp in sight. The shoreline remains natural, the woods are full of wildlife, and the state land next door means much of what makes this place special is going to stay that way. Built by the owner over two years from architect's plans and completed in 2002, the concrete structure is covered beneath roughly ten feet of earth on the top and two sides, creating a home that stays remarkably stable through the seasons -- cool in summer, warm in winter, and according to the seller, frost-free even with the heat off. Whatever else this house may be, it was built to endure. Inside, the living space is open and comfortable, with peeled wood...