The Bitterroot Range in autumn, Montana – the valley where Yellowstone was filmed

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Series · 2018–2024

Where wasYellowstonefilmed?

The Yellowstone Dutton Ranch is Chief Joseph Ranch in the Bitterroot Valley of Montana, 100 km from the national park and unrelated to it. The ranch is private, but the two guest cabins that appear in the series can be booked in summer. Everything else is a valley of small towns you can drive in a day.

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Photo: Forest Service Northern Regio…, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons

COLD OPEN

The Yellowstone Dutton Ranch is Chief Joseph Ranch in Darby, Montana – a real working cattle ranch with a 1917 lodge, in the Bitterroot Valley 100 km south of Missoula and about 400 km by road from Yellowstone National Park, which the series otherwise has little to do with. Seasons one to three were shot largely in Utah with the ranch exteriors in Montana; from season four the production moved fully to Montana. The valley's towns, bars and rodeo grounds play themselves.

SC 00 · MAP OF THE FILMING LOCATIONS

Where Yellowstone was filmed: 7 locations you can visit

United States1Chief Joseph Ranch 2Darby 3Hamilton 4Missoula 5Bitterroot River and Valley 6Fort Worth Stockyards 7Utah: Park City and the Spanish Fork ranch

ACT IUnited States7 locations

Trapper Peak above the Bitterroot Valley near Darby – the backdrop of the Dutton Ranch; Chief Joseph Ranch itself is private and has no free photo

Forest Service Northern R… · Public domain

EXT. CHIEF JOSEPH RANCH – DARBY

Chief Joseph Ranch

as The Yellowstone Dutton Ranch

The lodge is the Dutton house inside and out; the barn, the corrals and the river meadows are all here. Two of the guest cabins appear on screen: the Ben Cook cabin as Rip's in season one and Kayce's in season two, the Fisherman cabin as Lee's.

VISITING

Private. The two cabins are rented as guest accommodation, March to early November, with a three-night minimum stay and a tour of the grounds included; booked directly with the ranch, months ahead. No day visits – the gate on Highway 93 south of Darby is as close as you get otherwise.

NOTEThe ranch takes reservations more than a year ahead: in September 2026 it was already booking the March to November 2027 season. Everything else is a drive-by.

The Bitterroot Valley outside Darby, Montana, with the mountains behind

TownofDarby · CC BY-SA 3.0

EXT. DARBY – DARBY

Darby

as The town nearest the ranch

Street scenes, the bar scenes and a lot of the crew's downtime; the town has leaned into it with signs and merchandise.

VISITING

A town of roughly 800 people on Highway 93, 100 km south of Missoula. The ranch gate is about 2 km south, at mile marker 29.

Main Street in Hamilton, Montana, which stood in for Bozeman and Helena

Itsa Ortiz · CC BY 2.0

EXT. HAMILTON – HAMILTON

Hamilton

as The Livestock Association office; the governor's house

A building at 163 S. Second Street is the Montana Livestock Association office; the Daly Mansion outside town is the governor's house. The courthouse scenes were shot in Missoula, not here.

VISITING

The valley's main town, 75 km south of Missoula.

Missoula and the Clark Fork river with the mountains behind, the production base of Yellowstone

A-Reck · CC BY-SA 3.0

EXT. MISSOULA – MISSOULA

Missoula

as Production base; the bar scenes

Several bar and office scenes; the production's hotels and offices. The nearest airport to the valley.

VISITING

Fly in here; rent a car; drive south. The tours start here.

Forest Service Northern R… · Public domain

EXT. BITTERROOT RIVER AND VALLEY – BITTERROOT VALLEY

Bitterroot River and Valley

as The river and the landscape shots

The fishing, the riding, the cattle drives; the 'train station' is a highway turnout on US 93 south of Darby near Sula, at Sula Peak Road.

VISITING

Public roads and river accesses along Highway 93 between Missoula and Darby; the Lee Metcalf refuge and the Lost Trail pass area.

The daily cattle drive at the Fort Worth Stockyards, the Texas scenes of Yellowstone

Carol M. Highsmith · Public domain

EXT. FORT WORTH STOCKYARDS – FORT WORTH

Fort Worth Stockyards

as Season five's Texas scenes; the 6666 Ranch

The Stockyards' rodeo and the streets in season four and five; the Four Sixes Ranch near Guthrie plays itself as the ranch Jimmy is sent to.

VISITING

The Stockyards are a public historic district with a free cattle drive twice daily at 11:30 and 16:00; the Four Sixes is a private ranch.

Main Street in Park City, Utah, where season one's interiors were shot

Mrs keyser soze · CC BY-SA 3.0

EXT. UTAH: PARK CITY AND THE SPANISH FORK RANCH – PARK CITY

Utah: Park City and the Spanish Fork ranch

as Seasons one to three: ranch interiors and valley

Seasons one to three used the Utah Film Studios in Park City for interiors and more than twenty Utah locations including Spanish Fork and the Promontory Club; the Broken Rock reservation scenes were near Salt Lake. From season four (2020) everything moved to Montana.

VISITING

Nothing marked; the Utah locations are private or generic. Listed so you know why season one looks different.

LOCATION MANAGER'S NOTES

Tips before you go

The ranch is not in Yellowstone National Park and not near it. Missoula is the airport; the park is a six-hour drive.
If you want inside the gate, book a cabin. It is the only way, and it sells out early.
The valley is a day's drive: Missoula to Darby and back is 200 km on one highway.
The Dutton Ranch merchandise is in Darby; the ranch welcomes fans photographing the sign at the gate but asks that nobody blocks the driveway – be quick and careful on the highway.
Combine with Glacier National Park to the north, not Yellowstone to the south-east, if you are planning around the series.
Winter filming is real: the valley gets snow from November; the tours run in summer.

CONTINUITY ERRORS

What the internet gets wrong

~~The Dutton Ranch is in Yellowstone National Park~~Actually

It is Chief Joseph Ranch in Darby, Montana, roughly 400 km from the park by road. The park appears in the series' name and little else.

~~You can tour the ranch~~Actually

Only guests who book the cabins get inside, with a tour of the grounds included in the stay. There are no day tours through the gate.

~~Yellowstone was filmed in Wyoming~~Actually

Montana in full from season four, Utah for much of seasons one to three, and Texas for the Four Sixes storyline. No Wyoming.

~~Bozeman scenes were shot in Bozeman~~Actually

Mostly Hamilton and Missoula stood in for it; the production stayed in the Bitterroot.

PRODUCTION LOG

Production notes

2017: Principal photography begins in August at Chief Joseph Ranch near Darby; interiors and most other scenes are shot in Utah.
2018: The series premieres on Paramount Network in June.
2020: In August the production announces the full move to Montana for season four; Missoula becomes the base, Darby and Hamilton regular sets.
2022: Season five films through the summer; the ranch's cabin bookings sell out a year ahead.
2024: The final episodes air in November and December.