The Berman Buckskin Ranch in low-key Placerville, Colorado, has had no shortage of high-stakes owners.

The glass, wood and stone main house was originally designed for Academy Award-winning writer and director Oliver Stone and later re-envisioned by Lyle Berman. The professional poker player and business executive got his start working at his dad’s leather business, for whom the ranch is named.

Set to make the most of views of the more than 14,250-foot-high Mt. Wilson – the highest summit in the Rocky’s San Miguel Mountains – the residence was built using two-story iron buttresses to create open living space. A wall of glass faces the mountain peak, known as a fourteener due to its elevation.

A portico shelters the arched double-door entry. The vaulted-ceiling great room features a stone fireplace, a wet bar and access to an expansive outdoor living area with a fire pit. Wood floors, ceilings and heavy beams give a lodge-like feeling to the interiors.

The residence includes a private office wing, a media room and a brick-walled formal dining room that can seat 16. Among the eight bedrooms and 10 bathrooms are two master suites.

The spa area has a sauna, a steam bath and exercise equipment.

As far as outdoor amenities go, the spread is all-in, to borrow a poker term. Nearly 10 miles of trails for ATVs, mountain bikes and horseback riding are contained within the more than 1,400 acres.

A 32,000-square-foot equestrian center is equipped with 22 horse stalls, an indoor riding arena, a vet hospital, a tack room, a live-in apartment and a recreational party room. There’s also an 11-station sporting clay range and a 3-acre trout pond.

Other buildings include two two-bedroom staff homes, a log cabin hideaway and a guest house adjoining the main residence for a total of 17 bedrooms and 15 bathrooms within 15,183 square feet of living space.

TD Smith of Telluride Real Estate Corp. is the listing agent for 101 Buckskin Lane, Placerville, Colorado. The asking price is $24.5 million. A sale is pending.

Fishing, camping and hiking are popular activities out of Placerville, a former gold mining town. Hot springs, two waterfalls, river rafting, skiing and snowmobiling are nearby.

The Telluride Regional Airport is about 14 miles from Placerville. Montrose Regional Airport is 52 miles away.


Telluride Real Estate Corp. is a founding member of Forbes Global Properties, a consumer marketplace and membership network of elite brokerages selling the world’s most luxurious homes.

Real Estate