SUN HILLS

Sun Hills is the answer to a question I hear a lot: “Can I get real acreage without driving 20 minutes past the last stoplight?” Here you can. Sun Hills’ 148 homesites run from 5 to 10 acres, just off Struthers Road and a few minutes from the North Gate interchange. That’s a rare combination on the north side.

A little history only locals tend to know: when Sun Hills was developed in the 1970s, there was almost nothing else this far north of Colorado Springs. A quick drive to the Air Force Academy with a rural setting at home was a rare combination, and a lot of the early homes went to Academy professors and officers.

It’s also horse country. Drive through and you’ll see more horses, goats and cattle out in the pastures than in any nearby neighborhood outside of Black Forest.

The lay of the land

Sun Hills sits just outside the forest, between Gleneagle to the west and the patchwork of mixed-acreage parcels along Roller Coaster Road to the east. Pleasant View Estates borders it to the north and northeast. To the south, across Old North Gate Road from Discovery Canyon Campus, is Overlook Estates, a small subdivision of five-acre properties that many people think of as part of Sun Hills. Flying Horse is just south of that.

What sets Sun Hills apart is the terrain. Tall hills and deeper valleys run through the whole neighborhood, so one lot can have a sweeping view of the Front Range and the Academy campus while the lot next door sits tucked into a private hollow, out of sight of the neighbors and the road. Most of the neighborhood is open ground with clusters of pines throughout, and the trees get thicker toward the northeast corner.

The zoning here is rural residential, with five-acre minimums. That’s what keeps the density low and the views open.

The drive in turns rural from almost any direction, but it hits hardest coming from Gleneagle. Sun Hills Drive starts right across from where the Gleneagle golf course used to be, and the change in lot size is immediate. The road winds up and down a small hill, then swings north in an S-curve and climbs the biggest hill in the neighborhood, starting at Sun Hills Drive and Plier Drive. Turn south on Plier and you’re on the most prominent ridge in Sun Hills, where the right lots get roughly 270-degree views from the southwest side of Colorado Springs all the way to Palmer Lake. Follow Plier east and it drops steeply into one of those private valleys, then climbs hard back out before passing small hobby ranches with barns and workshops on the way to Silverton Road. From there, north takes you into the trees toward Fox Run, and south takes you through Overlook Estates toward Discovery Canyon Campus.

My favorite thing about Sun Hills is the scrub oak. It grows where the forest thins out, from here all the way toward the foothills, and it won’t thrive under the pines, which is why there’s so much of it here. Plenty of people don’t love it: it’s gnarled, it grows in dense clusters, and it only has leaves from about June to November. But trimmed and cared for, it makes a great summer shade tree, and in the fall it turns orange, yellow and sometimes red.

The homes

Sun Hills has been around since the 1970s, so the housing stock spans decades. You’ll find original 1970s homes, many thoroughly remodeled, alongside larger custom homes built more recently. Many properties have barns, big workshops, RV garages or room to add them, and many are already set up for horses and other animals. Check the covenants for the specific lot before you plan on livestock. Fox Run Regional Park is just a few minutes away.

Because each home was built individually, there’s no typical floor plan. Expect a wide range in size, condition and price from one property to the next.

Living here

The daily trade is simple: you get space and light traffic at home, and you’re still minutes from groceries, restaurants and the interstate. Getting to the Academy is quick, downtown is a straight shot down I-25, and the Interquest corridor is close for errands.

Worth knowing before you buy

Well and septic. Homes here are on private wells and septic systems, not city utilities. Get a well inspection and water test, and a septic inspection, as part of due diligence. Also look at the well permit to see what uses it allows, such as watering animals or irrigating.

Covenants. Sun Hills is protected by covenants. The homeowners association, a nonprofit since 1983, runs an architectural control committee that reviews new construction, and its dues have been modest and voluntary. Read the covenants on outbuildings, livestock and fencing before you plan a barn or bring horses.

Wind and weather. Open ground means open exposure. Plan for wind when you think about outbuildings, landscaping and where you park.

Schools. Sun Hills is generally in Academy School District 20. Verify by address, since acreage near district lines can surprise you.

Nearby neighborhoods

If you’d like acreage with more trees, Black Forest is the next step east, with parcels from 2.5 acres up. Fox Run offers bigger wooded lots on a smaller scale, and Gleneagle has suburban lots with the equestrian subdivisions along its edges. For a luxury setting on less land, look at Flying Horse.

For the bigger picture, see the Northgate hub.

Current market and listings

Acreage pricing doesn’t follow neighborhood averages the way subdivision homes do, so the monthly Market Update will give you the broader trend more than a precise number here. Active listings in 80921 are below. If you’re looking at a five-acre property, I’d love to walk it with you. Wells, septic, outbuildings and usable ground are where acreage purchases are won or lost.