One common question frequently asked is how big is Yellowstone Ranch from the TV show? But first what is the TV show ‘Yellowstone’?
It’s easy to see why Yellowstone is a fan favorite. This Kevin Costner-led western has everything an excellent bingeable series should have. It has amassed over 9.3 million viewers in the season 4 finale.
There is the right amount of Family drama, complicated romances, and an incredible cast. In addition, the cast members look good in cowboy boots set in the most idyllic setting.
The Duttons are a multi-generational ranching family. They are set out in the big sky country and are simply trying to keep what is rightfully theirs from enemies on all sides of the ranch, literally and figuratively.
From the family patriarch John who wants nothing more than to keep his ranch and family safe, to his often tipsy, “foul-mouthed” daughter Beth Dutton loyal to a fault to her father, to his boys who all lead separate lives, it’s easy to see why we all love this show.
If you’ve been wondering about how massive their ranch is, read on to find out.
Where Is The Yellowstone Ranch
As the series starts, you can hear an overview of the ranch. John is heard in the background saying, “leverage is knowing if someone had all the money in the world, this is what they would buy.”
And it’s easy to see why sprawling over the acres of land is the Dutton log family home, spanning generations of Dutton men starting with Johns’s great grandfather.
The log house has seen its fair share of fights and business deals. Most of the scenes have been shot inside, especially around the log fires.
Although the original ranch is fictional, we know that the Chief Joseph Ranch where the series set is very natural. Although it sizes up to 2500 acres, it’s still quite the ranch.
However, when not in use by the Duttons, it doubles up as a family home for Shane and Angela Libel, the owners. With the two cabins available for rentals for guests who want to experience the western lifestyle.
The show utilizes the 6000ft house and the two barns built in the 1900s by William Ford and Howard Hollister.
Despite the Duttons’ Ranch bordering the Yellowstone national park and the native Americans’ reservation on the other, Chief Joseph’s ranch lies along the Bitterroot River in Bitterroot valley about 4 hours west of Bozeman, making it easier for guests who want to travel to the farm.
Why the Chief Joseph Ranch
Having a location that fits in perfectly with the way a series setting becomes something that many people relate to, thus making it one of the “main” characters of the show.
When the series first started shooting, they had no plans to shoot out of Montana. Most scenes were shot in Heber city Oakley, kamas, and Logan.
However, with better tax incentives in Montana, the fourth season was shot out of Montana. Even the cast and crew agreed that seeing the rivers and mountains and working on an actual ranch makes the show more authentic, which show creator Taylor Sheridan wanted from the get-go.
The ranches’ history spans a hundred years and makes the show more endearing.
What originally started as a trial for the Salish Native Americans traveling to Bison hunting grounds in the great valley to the trail where chief joseph led his people in his flight from the US army during the Nez Perce war developed into a homestead for settlers in the 1880s.
And by the 1950s, William ford and Howard Hollister bought the farm and commissioned the log house, which became an icon in the American West.
It becomes easy to see why the location manager fell in love with the ranch’s history and picturesque background.
What parts of the ranch do they use for filming
Throughout the series, we get to see parts of the house and the two cabins; the fisherman cabin, i.e., lee Duttons cabin, and the Ben cook cabin {Rips’ cabin in season 1 and Kaycee’s in season 2 }.
During the whole staging process, the set design team decided not to change many things in the house. As seen in scenes shot in the grand lodge room, they added some family heirlooms and some modern furniture and lighting to feel like living in but still modern.
The Dutton Ranch sign is up even when filming is off, so head on down and snap a photo.
Some of the other film locations include the kitchen, the front porch, the back porch, corrals, the helipad, bunkhouse, cemetery, and the round pen.
When Did Filming Start At chief joseph Ranch
When Shane Libel first got the cold call to ask if his ranch was available for shooting, he couldn’t believe it, and as he put it, it felt surreal and was a very humbling moment.
And we couldn’t agree more.
For some people, the previous three seasons of Yellowstone dont differ that much from the fourth season.
However, the ranch scenes were shot in Utah film studios with the first three seasons. However, all other seasons expect to continue shooting in Montana on the ranch with the new changes.
Most of season four which started airing in November was filmed on the ranch bringing a new level of authenticity thanks to the nature that proves hard to recreate electronically.
How Big Is The Yellowstone Ranch
There have been mentions of the ranch size in two instances.
In season one, when Jamie Dutton (Wes Bentley) comments that the ranch is 200,000 acres bigger than when he took over as attorney, we can only assume that the land is quite sizable despite not knowing the exact starting point.
And the second instance is when chief Thomas Rainwater played by Gil Birmingham, says to John that he possesses a ranch with measurements similar to Rhode Island. For reference, that would size upto seven thousand acres of land. Yes, that big.
Considering the size of the largest ranch in the US and Rhode Island, the Yellowstone would fall between the two coming in at about 775,0000 acres and 825,000 acres.
Even though the Dutton family ranch is fictional, compared to the largest farms in the US, the Yellowstone ranch is up there with the big dogs.
How much is the ranch worth
On the show, the Yellowstone is one of the largest ranches in America, making it quite the money grab; however, as we know, John is adamant about not selling. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t crunch the numbers for him.
Comparing it to the largest ranch in the US, the kings’ farm {825,000 acres} bought out for 725 million dollars. The Yellowstone could fetch an estimated 8 billion if they sold to Willa hayes, who was willing to buy them out at 10,000 dollars an acre.
However, we know that John does not plan on selling thanks to the promise he made to his dad; however, as the season progresses, he might change his mind. But one thing is for sure the Duttons have only started the fight to save their land, family, and legacy.
Will, there be a season 5
Yes, there most certainly will be.
It’s not shocking that it will return, thanks to the record-breaking performances of the cast and the ability to bring back good western movies that tap a cultural nerve throughout the world, thus bringing together an audience that wants to see what’s next for the Duttons.
However, with covid protocols in place, the production is slated for May 2022, meaning the new season will most likely be available in the fall with a return of all the series regulars and some new faces joining.
What can I watch in the meantime?
If like us, you can’t wait to see the new season, a prequel 1883, which follows the Duttons as they traverse from the West towards the great plains in search of a better future for their family might quench that thirst.
The show boasts an incredible cast; Tim Mc Graw and Isabella May lead.
Where can you watch new episodes?
With the release of the last episode of season 4 on January 3rd, all the other previous three seasons are currently available for streaming if you have peacock premium or peacock premium plus. However,
Season 4 is solely available on the primary network, or you can buy \rent on amazon, apple tv, and google play movies.
Conclusion
Yellowstone is a show-stopper. It depicts the authentic cowboy lifestyle and takes a deeper look at family dynamics, looking at the West’s assimilation. Whether by land developers looking to expand or wealthy people looking to buy land that they use once a year, Yellowstone looks at the cowboy lifestyle not for the profits but for what it does for the community.
