Nitt Witt Ridge

With a mere pickax and shovel, no formal training, and the aid of natural materials and trash collected from his garbage route, Art Beal, also known as Captain Nitt Witt or Der Tinkerpaw, spent 51 years chiseling out this “castle on a hill,” thereafter known as Nitt Witt Ridge.

The castle is comprised mostly of stone, cement, abalone shells, and beer cans. Other parts are “borrowed” remnants from the nearby Hearst Castle, where Beal worked for a time. The massive Nitt Witt Ridge includes stone arches and walkways, long decks and strange gardens, and emphasizes Beal’s great sense of humor and love of nature.