Wyntoon

Wyntoon is a private estate on the McCloud River in Northern California with several buildings in Bavarian style. Dark timber facades with painted shutters, steep gables, and carved balconies stand among tall pines along the riverbank.

Phoebe Hearst built the original estate in 1904 as a summer retreat in the California mountains. After a fire in 1929, her son William Randolph Hearst commissioned a new Bavarian-style village that stands today.

The name comes from a Wintu word for the nearby Shasta range, linking the German architecture to the Northern California landscape. Art deco murals show fairy tale themes in bright colors, recalling European illustration traditions.

The estate spans a large forested area with limited public access, as it remains under private ownership. Visitors can only see the buildings from outside when driving along public roads nearby.

In one of the study rooms, windows below the water surface allow views of trout and other fish swimming in the McCloud River. These aquarium windows connect the interior spaces directly to the life of the river.

Location: McCloud

GPS coordinates: 41.18920,-122.06600

Latest update: December 5, 2025 22:26