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Visiting the real-life Yellowstone and 1923 ranch is only a click away.
Set in Montana, the two series follow the turbulent lives of the Dutton family as they operate the largest ranch in the state. The former stars Kevin Costner, Luke Grimes and Kelly Reilly among others, while the latter, which premieres its season 2 finale on April 6, stars Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren.
Both shows are filmed on a real-life working cattle ranch in Montana. Around five hours away from Yellowstone National Park, the Chief Joseph Ranch is nestled in the town of Darby, Mo., and while it may be home to the Duttons on the show, in real life the ranch is home to Shane Libel and his family.
“This is the real deal. This is what makes this show sing, is that this lodge has actually become a character in our show,” Yellowstone set decorator Carla Curry said in a 2021 behind-the-scenes video. “This is not a set. This is not on stage. This is a private home that we are lucky enough to be in.”
She continued, “It is historically an unbelievably irreplaceable home. So we’re proud of it, we want to keep the integrity of it, and we wanna honor our additional cast member here.”
From how to visit to its expansive history, here’s everything to know about the real-life location of Yellowstone’s ranch.
Who owns the Yellowstone ranch in real life?
Since 2012, the Chief Joseph Ranch has been owned and operated by rancher Shane Libel and his family.
“We fell in love with it—the history, the buildings—just the ranch itself,” Libel told TV Insider in 2022. “It spoke to us.”
Whenever Yellowstone was in production, Libel would accompany the crew to help out as they took over the main lodge he and his family call home.
“The most surreal thing in the world — and the most humbling thing in the world is when you’re sitting in your own living room watching a show that’s filmed in your house,” Libel said in a 2021 Yellowstone promotional video.
Though Yellowstone and 1923 film on his ranch, Libel has been sure to note how his real-life operations differ from those seen on the show.
“We don’t brand anybody who works for us,” Libel joked to TV Insider. “Although I had a young man working for me who was scared to death I was going to do that because he’d seen the show.”
While the main lodge where the show is filmed used to be a bed and breakfast, it is now the Libels’ home and isn’t open to guests.
How was the Chief Joseph Ranch chosen to be on Yellowstone?
It seems that the Chief Joseph Ranch was personally scouted by Yellowstone‘s producers.
According to Libel, the property was not listed as a film location but he still ended up receiving a cold call from the show’s production team. Shortly after that initial conversation, the Yellowstone team visited Chief Joseph Ranch to scope out the estate and its potential.
Yellowstone‘s creator, Taylor Sheridan, even stopped by to visit the ranch a week later, with Libel recalling that the decision to film there was made almost immediately.
“[Sheridan] looked around and said, ‘That’s the bunkhouse right there,’ ” Libel told TV Insider. “He started walking around and calling out scenes as he saw them. ‘Episode 1, Act 3 here!’ And an assistant was writing everything down. The location director looked at me and said, ‘I think you have it.’ ”
Less than three weeks later, the show began filming on Libel’s property. Other parts of Yellowstone were filmed in Utah and the real-life Crow Indian Reservation.
Can you visit the Yellowstone ranch?
Fans of Yellowstone can visit the Chief Joseph Ranch and get a tour of the site with a reservation.
According to the property’s website, reservations are open from March 3, 2025, through September 30, 2025, with the property closed for guests during winter months.
Visitors can stay at guest cabins on the ranch for a minimum of three nights, though they’re welcome to stay longer, with tours only available upon reservation.
Chief Joseph Ranch’s FAQ page explicitly notes that it “does not offer tours without a cabin reservation.”
How much does it cost to visit the Yellowstone ranch?
The Chief Joseph Ranch offers stays at either its Lee Dutton Cabin or its Rip Cabin which both have a nightly rate of over $1,000.
Also known as the Fisherman’s Cabin, accommodations at Lee’s Cabin include several beds, a full kitchen, WiFi and a grill. The cabin can fit a maximum of eight guests. Its nightly rate is $1,400 for up to four guests, but if you anticipate being a bigger group, it’s an additional $50 for each extra person per night.
As laid out in the cabin’s name, the property belonged to Lee Dutton (Dave Annable) in Yellowstone.
According to Chief Joseph Ranch’s website, the cabin was built in 1916 and was used as lodging for the ranch’s staff. It overlooks the Bitterroot River and now mainly houses vacationers and fishermen in the area.
Meanwhile Rip’s Cabin, a.k.a. the Ben Cook Cabin, boasts two master bedrooms, two porches and similar amenities to Lee’s Cabin like a stacked kitchen and grill. The cabin is a little pricier than its counterpart and goes for $1,700 per night for four guests, with extra guests also adding $50 per head. It can house up to eight visitors.
On Yellowstone, the Ben Cook Cabin belonged to Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) in season 1 and to Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes) in season 2.
What is the history of the Chief Joseph Ranch?
The Chief Joseph Ranch has a storied past that began in the summer of 1877.
According to the ranch’s website, Indigenous Nez Perce leader Chief Joseph led his people across the ranch while escaping from the U.S. army during the Nez Perce War. By 1880, the ranch was homestead to settlers.
Over 30 years later, the ranch was acquired by glass tycoon William S. Ford and federal judge Howard Clark Hollister who aptly renamed it the Ford-Hollister Ranch in 1914. The former proceeded to build a dairy operation at the ranch which made way for several herds.
In the 1950s, the Ford-Hollister Ranch was sold and renamed the Chief Joseph Ranch in honor of the legendary leader who may have crossed the land with his tribe over a century before.
“I can’t go about anywhere in our valley without someone saying to me, ‘My grandfather used to work there’ or ‘My great-grandparents used to work there,’ ” Libel said of the ranch’s storied past to TV Insider.
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