On the show, the ranch — which is located in Montana and borders Yellowstone National Park (hence the show’s name) — is described as “the largest ranch in the U.S.”
Plenty of people wonder if Yellowstone is a real, operational ranch, and the answer is yes! It’s called Chief Joseph Ranch, just outside of Darby, Mont. And it’s currently owned by Shane and Angela Libel, who leave the Montana-based ranch during the months when Yellowstone is filming.
The Dutton family house so often showcased in the series is an actual, 5,000-square-foot mansion, built in 1917 as mega-millionaire William Ford’s summer house.
“The studio wanted to have [the home’s] location in Utah, where most of the filming was done,” shares the Yellowstone location manager Mark Jarrett. “There was a war-room meeting: Do we go up to this ranch or do we Scotch-tape locations together?
“Find a ranch. Find a mountain. Once we all got to Montana, there was no hesitation. It was so obvious,” he says, adding that, “the ranch is one of the main characters on the show and its scope and scale make it that way.”
The backdrops definitely add to the show’s overall appeal and drama, so we couldn’t agree more.