See billionaire exec and avid fly fisherwoman’s 1,500-acre ranch near Redding CA
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- Meg Whitman lists 1,500‑acre Spring Creek Ranch near Redding for $18.5M.
- Ranch controls over a mile of Fall River and two spring‑fed tributaries.
- Property markets trophy trout fishing, water rights, hunting and infrastructure.
Meg Whitman, the billionaire business executive, one-time gubernatorial hopeful and former U.S. diplomat, has listed her sprawling Northern California ranch near Redding for $18.5 million.
The listing comes about a year after the former CEO of Hewlett-Packard and eBay and her husband, neurosurgeon Griffith Rutherford Harsh IV, sold a penthouse atop downtown Sacramento’s Kimpton Sawyer Hotel in an auction for nearly $2.4 million.
Now, Hall and Hall is marketing the 1,500-acre Spring Creek Ranch, a marquee holding at the headwaters of the renowned Fall River.
“High quality, private trout fishing is likely the single biggest factor that drives value on recreation ranches,” Hall and Hall listing agent Bill McDavid told The Sacramento Bee via email.
“In a multi-state area, you’d find only a handful of properties that have this kind of resource,” McDavid said. “This is a true spring creek that rises from the earth on property. The water is as clear as a bottle of gin, and it maintains a very consistent temperature throughout the year providing optimal conditions for growing healthy, large trout.”
Whitman is reportedly an avid fly fisherwoman. She told The Wall Street Journal that the couple hasn’t been able to use the ranch very much lately because they now live in Telluride, Colo. They spend an occasional weekend at Spring Creek, and visit during summers.
“Most of the time, I fished,” she told the newspaper.
The property features over a mile of frontage along Fall River and controls two of the river’s primary spring-fed tributaries — Spring Creek and Lava Creek, according to Hall and Hall.
Fishing is central to the pitch.
“These pristine waters support trophy rainbow trout averaging three to six pounds, with exclusive access for the ranch and its guests,” according to the listing.
Beyond angling, the ranch is promoted as a prime hunting property along the Pacific Flyway. The listing describes “premier waterfowl and upland bird hunting,” with “lush meadows, riparian wetlands, and forested areas” that attract ducks, geese, deer and raptors, such as bald eagles and peregrine falcons.
While the ranch is built around privacy, the listing emphasizes access.
“(It is) located 10 miles from Fall River Mills, with its jet-capable airport and proximity to Redding,” the listing states.
Redding is about 160 miles north of Sacramento.
The ranch has a comfortable three-bedroom residence overlooking Spring Creek, a custom Airstream fishing camp and barns, shops, and “supporting ranch infrastructure.”
The ranch also has a working-land component, with “reliable water rights,” according to Hall and Hall. There is about 650 acres of irrigated farmland and pasture, hay production and grazing.
McDavid underscored the ranch’s stature in the region.
“Spring Creek Ranch is one of the two most revered ranches in the Fall River Valley, renowned for its beauty, wildlife, and fishing,” according to a broker’s comment attached to the listing. “For once, it is not an exaggeration to say this is a genuine once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
Spring Creek Ranch is co-listed with Terry Hundemer of the Chickering Co.
Whitman’s former 18th-floor home at 500 J St., Unit 1801, in Sacramento came with VIP access to Golden 1 Center via a private tunnel and views of the arena, DoCo and the state Capitol. Public records show the couple bought it for $3.75 million in 2018 after it was first built.
In 2010, Whitman ran unsuccessfully for governor of California. She served as U.S. Ambassador to Kenya from 2022 to 2024. She and her husband have two children.
This story was originally published April 3, 2026 at 10:58 AM.
