Yellowstone is a staple of modern TV; not only has the show been tremendously successful with fans and critics, but it has also sparked the creation of an entire Yellowstone franchise with interconnected shows and prequels. The upcoming season will technically be it’s last, but creator Taylor Sheridan already has plans for a show that will pick up right where the finale leaves things off.
The locations, besides the characters, are what makes Yellowstone so compelling. It’s one of the most scenic shows on right now, which helps to evoke the epic feel of the westerns Sheridan grew up watching (and is pulling influence from). It should then come as no surprise that fans are curious about where Yellowstone is shot and whether the locations featured on the show are real.
We have good news: they are. Yellowstone is shot in the state in which its set, Montana, and the Dutton house is an actual 5,000-square-foot mansion located on Chief Joseph Ranch. It’s a working horse and cattle ranch, and most scenes involving the Dutton family occur somewhere on the grounds. The role the ranch plays in the show is not lost on Sheridan or Yellowstone star Kevin Costner.
“On the ranch, we’re actually filming where it’s actually set,” Costner told Vanity Fair:
“It’s almost like the most central character. You step outside and you see running horses and men working and the weather dictates what you do.”
Chief Joseph Ranch has skyrocketed in popularity thanks to the show, and the owners rent out the cabins on the property whenever Yellowstone isn’t being filmed. Guests can fish, ride horses and hike through the nearby mountain ranges. It doesn’t get much better for fans of the show.
Is Yellowstone shot in Montana?
Chief Joseph Ranch is the single most important location on the show, but it’s not the only one. Sheridan brought the production to Texas for a brief period, which both surprised and delighted locals. He decided to film scenes at Mary’s Brazos Cafe, a restaurant he frequents whenever he’s in the area. Sheridan’s upcoming spinoff, 6666, revolves around a ranch of the same name, so the connection makes sense.
Horsey Hooves reports that Sheridan shot at the Utah Film Studios near Park City, Utah during the first three seasons of Yellowstone. The sound stages that comprise Utah Film Studios total a whopping 45,000 square feet, so it’s easy to see why the showrunner likes to use it. However, Yellowstone stopped using Utah Film Studios in season four due to the state’s tax incentives.
Marshal Moore, the vice president of operations at Utah Film Studios, told the Salt Lake Tribune that the decision was made reluctantly. “They feel like they’re forced to because of Montana’s shiny new $10 million incentive that they just passed last year,” he explained. “That and the fact that our film commission and the Governor’s Office of Economic Development can’t offer them really anything at the moment.”
While one-off locations are scattered throughout the midwest, Yellowstone lives up to its title and films most of its scenes on real sets and locations in Montana. The show’s insistence on authenticity is one of the main reasons we keep watching, and we’ll continue to as long as the Yellowverse exists.