Did you ever want your own piece of mountain close to the stars among the whispering pines far away from it all? Well, here it is: 20 acres of pine trees with a small pasture for your horses and a view of the tallest mountains in Montana to boot. It is in a rural "subdivision" - which is several thousand acres big. A rural subdivision in Montana is a totally different story then a subdivision anywhere else. Here the neighbors (which are out of sight) have to pull together. Living in the wilderness like this you will have to deal with wild animals, fires and …. What if you break your leg? Not to worry. There is a calling chain in place and everybody is ready to help everybody else. No house ever burnt down in this particular subdivision, thanks to watchful neighbors who are ready to pitch in where needed. If you build your house yourself, you can count on your neighbors to give you a helping hand. If you are alone and cannot get out of the house, neighbors will take turns to take care of you, but otherwise they leave you alone.

Just a different lifestyle and people from all around the United States have come to retire there or to commute to Billings for work. The access road to this property is 4 miles of gravel road, mostly uphill. But surprisingly there is electric and phone right along the property line, which is a rare find in this "subdivision." If you take a closer look at the satellite photo, you can see that you have your own little valley on your property, yet the access is decent and gets plowed in winter. No steep inclines or drop offs to negotiate, which you will learn to appreciate in winter.

Each lot in this subdivision is about 20 acres. The restrictions are that the house has to be stick built, have 1,500sqft minimum living space and exterior colors have to blend in with the landscape. The lots cannot be further divided, but one home and a guest house are allowed on each lot. The annual fee for road maintenance and such is $ 275. It sure is a lot cheaper then if you would have to maintain the road yourself. Still, there is a lot of volunteer work going on regarding taking care of weeds, fallen and dead trees, etc. There is also a small bridge leading into the subdivision which was replaced not too long ago by volunteers.

Every owner in the Pinecrest subdivision also owns a share in the common park down by the Yellowstone River. The park is 20 acres and a group of residents has built a nice outdoor fireplace there for everyone to use. The Yellowstone River is the longest free flowing river in the United States. It originates in the Yellowstone Park, flows north to Livingston and then due east to Billings and beyond until it reaches the Missouri River. The Stillwater River enters the Yellowstone by Columbus, which is a Blue Ribbon trout stream and the fishing right there in the Yellowstone is just fabulous. The park looks at a huge sandstone formation across the river, so there are some really nice fishing holes.

If hunting is your interest, the "subdivision" borders State Land and two very large ranches along the sides, so there are lots of opportunities. If you just enjoy to view the wild life, just sit in your living room and look out the window. You will be amazed what wanders by. The plains animals live north of the subdivision, such as elk and antelope. Bear and mountain lions live to the east and west and the deer and Wild Turkey of course have their young right in your backyard.

It will take 25 minutes to drive to the nearest Wal-Mart in Laurel, another 15 minutes to Billings, the largest city in Montana and an hour to drive to Red Lodge for skiing and the Beartooth Highway to the Yellowstone Park. Bozeman is about 110 miles away. Bank, post office, school and grocery store are at Columbus or Park City, which are 15 minutes away to the west and east.