FISH HAVEN – A Hyrum businessman, Michael Arambel, built a 7,200 square foot luxury vacation rental using seven 40-foot single use shipping containers on the west side of Bear Lake in Idaho. The home has six bedrooms and four and half baths. It comfortably sleeps 21 people but there is room for more if needed.
An inside view of a luxury home built out of shipping containers near Bear Lake on Friday July 11, 2025.
It took two and half years to build. The home is located a little over two miles from U.S. 89 and half of a mile from Fish Haven, Idaho. It sits on a bluff with an unobstructed view of Bear Lake.
“Realter Natalie Jacobsen from Bear Lake Getaway Reality showed me a lot of properties before I found this place. I bought ten acres of ground,“ he said. “I hired Curtis Earl, a structural engineer, to make sure the building was sound and could withstand heavy snow in the winter.”
The original architect was Christian Wilson (Center Street Architect); however, Kristy Jacobson (K Design Studio) was hired as the architectural designer to bring the project to completion.
“Kristy and I met on the site, and I told her I wanted to build something awesome,” he said. “She was creative and was able to pull off stuff when I was unable to see.”
Arambel had to cut away 50 feet of dirt from the hillside and over 165 feet to accommodate the length of the building. The lot is graveled.
Moose Ridge is a luxury home built out of shipping containers and it sits on a bluff overlooking Bear Lake on Friday July 11, 2025.
“When people saw the shipping containers being brought in to the site they were skeptical and kind of worried about the place fitting with the other large cabins in Fish Haven,” Arambel said. “We had a lot of nay sayers in the beginning but, when the home was finally finished, I think people were impressed.”
No one can block the million-dollar view; it is secluded and private. Some people have pools, but he said there is so much to do around Bear Lake. The place is not only a place to stay but it can accommodate meetings, small weddings or use it as a retreat.
Some of the container doors were left on the outside of the structure as a reminder of what it took to build it. One of the containers was turned into a game room, with an air hockey table, a video game mounted on the wall and a double shot basketball arcade game. The floors are heated so people can walk bare foot on them in the winter.
The luxury home built out of shipping containers is ready to rent any day of the week.
One hall was built from a container with thin lights on the wall and ceiling that light up when a person passes by them. Some of the magic of the place is the walls with designs on them that become hidden doors. When the wall is pushed, it opens into a bedroom, garage or another room. The progression of building and how containers were stacked, the alignment of the containers is included on the website.
Bookings are limited to three consecutive days and must be confirmed by the property owner.
To find out more about the property go to bearlakecontainerhouse.com or call (208) 261-2708.