Where Western movies are filmed in the 21st century:Northern New Mexico! (And a few other places too.)

"The Magnificent Seven" (2016 remake): Plaza Blanca Cliffs, N.M.

The Westerns of today may not be up there with the classics of the '30s, '40s and '50s, but one thing I still enjoy about them — even more today than in many of the classics — is the terrific photography of the American West.

"A Million Ways to Die in the West" (2014): Monument Valley's John Ford Point

With widescreen formats, advances in color reproduction and new tech such as drone photography, big-screen TVs and 4K Ultra HD, the modern Western brings the West's wide-open spaces right into our living rooms.

"Stagecoach" (1939): The stage arrives on the Iverson Movie Ranch in Chatsworth, Calif.

Once upon a time in Hollywood, most Westerns were filmed in California — with Chatsworth, Newhall, Lone Pine, Simi Valley, the Mojave Desert, Santa Monica Mountains and Conejo Valley high on the list of favorite spots.

"Django Unchained" (2012): The Alabama Hills in Lone Pine, Calif.

Filming continues in each of those locales in the 21st century, but it has been scaled way back since the glory days of the Western, when the movies were shot primarily in the Golden State.

Western movie town at CL Ranch, part of a booming film industry in Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Today's Westerns are filmed just about everywhere in the world — Spain, Romania and the former Yugoslavia have been popular shooting locations, along with Canada, Mexico and other countries.

Ghost Ranch, N.M.: One of the most popular filming locations for modern Westerns

But the Western U.S. is still the "real West," and the region today remains Hollywood's busiest backlot when it comes to Western movies.

"3:10 to Yuma" (original 1957 version): the hills around Dragoon, Ariz.
 

In the early years of the "eastward expansion," as Hollywood searched beyond California for new places to film Westerns, nearby southern Arizona  — rugged and conveniently located — was the preferred landing spot.

Same hills seen in "3:10 to Yuma" — north of the I-10 west of Dragoon
 

The same hills seen in the background of the 1957 version of "3:10 to Yuma" can be found today just off the Interstate between Benson and Dragoon.

"3:10 to Yuma": The hills seen in the recent shot
 

Arizona continues to hold a slice of the contemporary Western movie location business, and it's hardly alone: Utah, Colorado, Montana, Nevada and Texas are all among the key players, along with other Western states.

"3:10 to Yuma" (2007 remake): Ghost Ranch, northern New Mexico
 

But in the 21st century, New Mexico has emerged as the clear front-runner for Western film shoots. Today if they're going to remake a classic like "3:10 to Yuma," as they did in 2007, they're probably going to film it in northern New Mexico — and they did. Below I'll explain exactly where this location can be found today.

"Cowboys & Aliens" (2011): Diablo Canyon, N.M.

No other state has kept pace with the Land of Enchantment when it comes to supplying locations for Hollywood's most sprawling, gorgeous, big-budget Westerns in the 21st century.

Red clay rock formation along the side of Highway 84 near Ghost Ranch, N.M.
 

New Mexico's success in cultivating a booming movie industry was built not only on the region's natural beauty, but also on a proactive state film commission and a history of well-timed tax incentives. 

 

New Mexico: Land of Enchantment
 

New Mexico's busiest filming region — and not coincidentally, an area where much of the state's most beautiful scenery can be found — is centered around the capital city of Santa Fe in the northern part of the state.

The Rio Grande, as it runs through northern New Mexico

It doesn't hurt matters that an especially picturesque stretch of the Rio Grande runs through the region as it works its way south. The river has made appearances in many productions over the years.

Jimmy Stewart surveys northern New Mexico in "The Man From Laramie" (1955)

They've been making Westerns in the Santa Fe area since the 1910s, but the region's modern movie business can be traced back to two Columbia Westerns in the 1950s: "The Man From Laramie" and "Cowboy."

"The Man From Laramie" puts New Mexico front and center in the opening credits

Both movies filmed on what was then the Jarrett Ranch, just outside of Santa Fe. The producers of "The Man From Laramie" may have inadvertently opened the floodgates to New Mexico's filming boom when they gave the state a prominent shout-out in the movie's opening credits.

"The Man From Laramie's" autographed thank-you to the Jarrett Ranch

They also personally thanked the Jarrett family, who were just getting their movie ranch operation off the ground. The movie crew left the Jarretts with an inscribed wooden plaque autographed by the cast of "The Man From Laramie" — a nice gesture even if they did spell the Jarretts' name wrong.

"Cowboy" (1958): Glenn Ford takes in the sights of northern New Mexico

Not long after Jimmy Stewart and "The Man From Laramie" rolled out from the Jarrett Ranch, another Columbia Western, Glenn Ford's "Cowboy," rolled in. The movie filmed on and around the ranch in 1957.

 

"Cowboy": Working the Jarrett Ranch — today's Bonanza Creek Ranch

 

The old Jarrett Ranch is known today as Bonanza Creek Ranch, and besides being a working cattle ranch, it's still in the movie location business — one of several major movie ranches located near Santa Fe.

 

One reliable clue that a movie is shot on the Bonanza Creek Ranch is the distinctive profile of Cerro Bonanza.

Western street on the Bonanza Creek Ranch, with Cerro Bonanza to southwest

 

The peak is situated just southwest of the Bonanza Creek Ranch, and turns up all the time in movies shot there.

 

"Silverado" (1985): Cerro Bonanza on the right

 

Here it is, covered in snow, in the landmark Western "Silverado." The movie, which is credited with helping to spark a revival of the Western genre, filmed in northern New Mexico during the winter of 1984-85.

 

"Hostiles," filmed at Bonanza Creek in 2016 and released in 2017

Scott Shepherd led the cast of "Hostiles," which shot at Bonanza Creek in 2016 and again captured Cerro Bonanza in the background. That's it in its usual position, on the right.

You can also see Cerro Bonanza from the road if you're driving south on Highway 45, just off the I-25.

About 20 miles south of Santa Fe is the tiny town of Galisteo, N.M. The population was listed at just 253 people in the last census, but Galisteo looms large in the movie business in the 21st century.

 

Four working movie ranches in the vicinity of Galisteo

 

Zeroing in on the Galisteo area, we find at least four movie ranches currently operating in the neighborhood, spanning a swath from Bonanza Creek Ranch in the northwest to San Cristobal Ranch in the southeast.

 

"Silverado": Gunfight on the Cerro Pelon Ranch (known then as the Cook Ranch)

 

It's common for productions filming in the region to shoot at more than one of the area's location ranches. "Silverado's" visit in 1984-85 included work on the Eaves, Cerro Pelon and Bonanza Creek movie ranches.

Ranch set built on the Bonanza Creek Ranch for "Silverado"

In addition to building the town of Silverado on the Cerro Pelon Ranch, the production team for "Silverado" built an impressive ranch set for the movie on the Bonanza Creek Ranch.

 

"Lonesome Dove" (1989): The same ranch resurfaces as Clara's place in the epic miniseries

 

With a few new buildings, new fences and a fresh coat of paint, the ranch would reappear four years later in "Lonesome Dove," where it was featured prominently as the home of Anjelica Huston's character, Clara.

 

Anjelica Huston and Diane Lane on the ranch in "Lonesome Dove"

It's a coin flip between "Lonesome Dove" and "Silverado" for which one did more to revive the Western genre, but it was a sign of things to come that both productions filmed in northern New Mexico.

 

Robert Duvall and Ricky Schroder in front of Clara's house

"Lonesome Dove" introduced one of Robert Duvall's most enduring characters in retired Texas Ranger Augustus McCrae. His great hat became a fixture of the cowboy hat business, and is still sold today as "The Gus."

 

"Lonesome Dove": Crew photo at Clara's house

Clara's house also provided the backdrop for some behind-the-scenes photo ops before the "Lonesome Dove" team pulled out of the Bonanza Creek Ranch and northern New Mexico in the summer of 1988.

 

Bonanza Creek Ranch: The barn first appears in "Silverado"

Built as part of the "Silverado" ranch set, the barn that later became a part of Clara's spread proved to be the most durable part of the set. Here it is in its first incarnation, in "Silverado."

 

"Lonesome Dove": A return engagement for the barn

Replace the cattle with horses, put up a new corral fence, sprinkle in a few chickens and add a couple of cheerful youngsters to the landscape, and the barn was ready for prime time in "Lonesome Dove."

 

"3:10 to Yuma" (2007 remake): The barn remains relevant in the 21st century

In the years following "Lonesome Dove," a large Western town grew up around the barn, which remains a part of the Bonanza Creek Ranch filming operation today. These days the old barn is typically set up as a mercantile.

 

"Silverado": The town of Silverado, built for the movie on the Cerro Pelon Ranch

 

About 20 miles southwest of Clara's ranch, the town of Silverado, built four years earlier at Cerro Pelon, was still the most fully developed Western movie town in the region at the time "Lonesome Dove" was filming.

 

"Lonesome Dove": Cerro Pelon's Silverado roars back to life as Ogallala, Neb.

The producers of "Lonesome Dove" took over Silverado, expanding the set and using it to represent four different towns in the miniseries. The "Lonesome Dove" sets would remain in place after the production wrapped.

 

"Lonesome Dove": Tommy Lee Jones, left, in Miles City, Montana (Cerro Pelon Ranch's Silverado set)

The old "Silverado" and "Lonesome Dove" sets have been reconfigured countless times over the past three decades — often getting bigger — but the town remains in place today and still attracts film crews.

 

Main townsite on the Cerro Pelon Ranch (Bing aerial)

To give you an idea of the scale of the Cerro Pelon Ranch movie town, here's what it looks like in a recent satellite shot. You might notice what appears to be a number of movie trucks parked around the exterior of the town.

 

"In a Valley of Violence" (2016): Ethan Hawke rides in on the Cerro Pelon Ranch

Here's a look at the Cerro Pelon town set in the summer of 2014, when they were filming the Western "In a Valley of Violence," released two years later. The church on the left looks as though it might be the same one from "Silverado," which can be seen in a couple of the photos above.

 

"3:10 to Yuma" (2007): Cerro Pelon Ranch as the town of Contention

A glance at Cerro Pelon's Western town as it appears in the "3:10 to Yuma" remake reveals the relatively large scale of some of the buildings in the town's interior.

 

"Lonesome Dove" (title sequence): Cerro Pelon Ranch in sepia tone

Similar to Bonanza Creek Ranch with its nearby Cerro Bonanza, the Cerro Pelon Ranch has hills nearby that can help identify the location. The hills seen here are situated southwest of the movie ranch.

 

"Lonesome Dove": Cerro Pelon Ranch with hills to the southwest

Taking a look at the same shot as it appears in more detail in Part 4 of the miniseries, we can see those hills to the southwest more clearly, and we can begin to match them up with known features in the region.

 

The hills noted here, including Placer Mountain on the right, are part of a group that stands out against an otherwise relatively flat part of the landscape.

 

"The Man From Laramie" (1955): Placer Mountain, outside the fictional Half Moon Ranch

Placer Mountain and its neighbors turn up repeatedly in Westerns filmed on the Cerro Pelon Ranch. Going all the way back to "The Man From Laramie," it's easy to spot the same group of hills in the background.

 

Placer Mountain and its neighbors

You may have made them out already, but the hills highlighted above in the shot from "Lonesome Dove" are the same ones noted here. The angle is about the same, so we know we're again on the Cerro Pelon Ranch.

 

"Silverado": Placer Mountain in winter

The same hills are seen covered in snow in "Silverado."

 

"Hostiles" (2017): Wide shot of the Placer Mountain group

The full span of the hills clustered around Placer Mountain is featured in this wide shot from "Hostiles," again taken on the Cerro Pelon Ranch. Placer Mountain is the tall peak near the center of the shot.

 

"True Grit" (2010 remake): Placer Mountain and Cerro Pelon

This unusual ultra-wide shot of the Galisteo Basin from the "True Grit" remake captures both the Placer Mountain group and another of the region''s most important features — the one that gives the Cerro Pelon Ranch its name.

 

Cerro Pelon, located about 10 miles east of Placer Mountain and about five miles southwest of the Cerro Pelon Ranch, is another frequently filmed feature that can be useful in pinpointing filming locations.

 

Cerro Pelon — also known as the "Galisteo Wave"

Known locally as the "Galisteo Wave," Cerro Pelon displays various profiles depending on the angle from which it's being photographed. This photo shows one of the classic tourist angles, but not the most common movie angle.

 

"The Cheyenne Social Club" (1970): Henry Fonda and Jimmy Stewart with Cerro Pelon

Cerro Pelon has been showing up in movies and TV productions for decades. Fifteen years after he helped pave the road from Hollywood to northern New Mexico with "The Man From Laramie," Jimmy Stewart found his way back for "The Cheyenne Social Club" — bringing along Henry Fonda this time.

 

"Silverado": Cerro Pelon looms in the background

"Silverado" had its share of Cerro Pelon sightings too. Like many of these shots of Cerro Pelon, this one is taken from the Cerro Pelon Ranch. In case you're curious, the Spanish term "Cerro Pelon" translates to "Bald Hill."

 

"Into the West" (TV miniseries, 2005): actor Clayton Rohner in the "Hell on Wheels" episode

The miniseries "Into the West" also captured Cerro Pelon, seen here in the background on the left. Producers reportedly brought rolling stock to the Cerro Pelon Ranch and put in 2,000 feet of track for the railroad sequences.

 

"Wild Wild West" (1999): Cerro Pelon turns up under a giant steampunk spider

One of the weirdest places Cerro Pelon has appeared on the screen is in this sequence from the Will Smith movie "Wild Wild West." Unrelated to the spider sequence, an explosion while the movie was filming on the Cerro Pelon Ranch in 1998 reportedly destroyed part of the town set, which the producers had to rebuild.

 

Shiprock formation, northern New Mexico

Another of northern New Mexico's defining features is Shiprock, located 170 miles northwest of Santa Fe in the Navajo Volcanic Field — about a 40-minute drive from Four Corners.

 

Remember when postage was 4 cents?

Shiprock is important enough to New Mexico that it was featured on a stamp issued in 1962 commemorating 50 years of statehood. I do remember 4-cent stamps, and I'm trying not to think about how long ago that was.

 

"The Lone Ranger" (2013): Armie Hammer and Johnny Depp near Shiprock

The rock has also caught the eye of filmmakers — including Gore Verbinski, when he directed his disastrous 2013 reimagining of "The Lone Ranger."

 

If you're like most "Lone Ranger" fans, including me, you probably hated the Johnny Depp-Armie Hammer version. But it does have some nice photography of the American West, including plenty of New Mexico.

 

"The Lone Ranger": Shiprock and its wide-open spaces

This shot from "The Lone Ranger" offers a wider view of the Shiprock region. There's not all that much around there, other than Shiprock itself, but the background varies depending on which direction you're looking.

 

Shiprock, right, along with some of its volcanic neighbors

Other shots from "The Lone Ranger" emphasize the volcanic formations near the main rock. Also, if you look closely you can probably find the Lone Ranger and Tonto in there somewhere.

 

"A Million Ways to Die in the West" (2014): Shiprock again, but ... something's wrong

Soon after "The Lone Ranger" was released, Shiprock turned up again in Seth MacFarlane's gross-out Western comedy "A Million Ways to Die in the West." But this time around the rock was a mirror image of itself.

 

The scene as it was originally filmed, with Shiprock properly oriented

In other words, this is how it should have looked, and how it was shot. Presumably, they needed footage of the chase going from left to right rather than the other way around. I would have hoped they'd shoot it the right way in the first place, but it happens. Shot flipping has been going on almost as long as there have been movies.

 

Another side of Shiprock

I did check to make sure it's not just the other side of the rock, and it's not. This is what the rock looks like from the other side, and even though the profile is similar, the nooks and crannies are all different.

 

"Natural Born Killers" (1994): Shiprock attracts a tornado

It's not a Western, but Shiprock also found its way into the background of Oliver Stone's "Natural Born Killers," set largely in the Four Corners area. I assume the tornado was added in post.

 

Shiprock, looking northwest

Viewed from pretty much any direction, there's no denying that Shiprock is one handsome rock.

 

Hikers approach the Plaza Blanca cliffs outside of Santa Fe

Speaking of handsome rock formations, another one in northern New Mexico that has become a favorite of Western filmmakers is Plaza Blanca, about an hour northwest of Santa Fe, off Highway 84.

 

"The Magnificent Seven" (2016): Red Harvest meets the group at Plaza Blanca

It's here among the bleached stone spires that Red Harvest, played by Martin Sensmeier, has a somewhat startling rendezvous with the rest of "The Magnificent Seven" in the 2016 remake.

 

"Wyatt Earp" (1994): A perilous ride through Plaza Blanca

The formation's narrow canyons and ghostly canyon walls make it an ideal spot for a cinematic ambush, and more than one Plaza Blanca massacre has been splashed across the big screen over the years.

 

"Wyatt Earp": The lawman keeps a wary eye out for trouble

In Kevin Costner's take on "Wyatt Earp," Plaza Blanca provides the backdrop for a suspenseful — and ultimately bloody — ambush attempt.

 

"Wyatt Earp": Bushwhackers abound in Plaza Blanca

Danger lurks behind every stone pillar, as Earp and his compadres are well aware.

 

"Wyatt Earp": That's gonna leave a mark

It's not long before the bodies start flying around the canyon.

 

"The Legend of the Lone Ranger" (1981): More trouble with those narrow canyon walls

But the body count in "Wyatt Earp" is nothing compared with the bloodbath that took place in the canyon more than a decade earlier in one of Plaza Blanca's most memorable film sequences.

 

"The Legend of the Lone Ranger": Texas Rangers in peril in Plaza Blanca

In the widely panned 1981 attempt to bring the "Lone Ranger" saga to the big screen, Plaza Blanca provided the setting for the infamous ambush of the Texas Rangers that launches the story of the Lone Ranger.

 

"The Lone Ranger" TV series (1949): Cavendish (Glenn Strange) lies in wait on the Iverson Ranch

The Plaza Blanca massacre echoes the ambush depicted in the first episode of the TV series "The Lone Ranger," filmed in 1949 on the Iverson Movie Ranch and in Bronson Canyon. I broke down the locations for the TV ambush in a previous post, which you can see by clicking here.

 

"Legend of the Lone Ranger": Christopher Lloyd takes over as the despicable Cavendish

In the 1981 "Lone Ranger" update, Christopher Lloyd steps into the role of head bad guy and ambush coordinator Butch Cavendish. I still think of him as Jim from "Taxi," even after all those "Back to the Future" movies.

 

Cavendish and his thugs hold the high ground — a big advantage in Plaza Blanca

Cavendish has assembled a small army in Plaza Blanca to take down the Texas Rangers. Spoiler alert: He gets all but one of them!

 

"Legend of the Lone Ranger": The assassins take aim on the Rangers below

Trapped in the canyon, the Rangers never stood a chance.

 

The massacre begins

Whether it's in the TV show or the "Lone Ranger" movies — even the bad ones — the massacre of the Texas Rangers has to be one of the saddest episodes in the Westerns — and it stands in contrast to the relatively lightweight fare that makes up much of the "Lone Ranger" canon.

 

"Legend of the Lone Ranger": Death plunge off a high rock tower

I hope this stuntman got paid extra, because that jump took some cajones. Can I say that?

 

Tonto arrives, and the real work begins

After the smoke cleared, Tonto showed up to clean up the mess. And it was a big mess.

 

Klinton Spilsbury and Silver

The crummy 1981 movie starred Klinton Spilsbury as the Lone Ranger, and if you're trying to place that name, don't bother. He never landed another film or TV role after tanking as the Masked Man.

 

"Cowboys and Aliens" (2011): Back to Plaza Blanca

Fast-forward 30 years to 2011 and we're back at Plaza Blanca, for a Western and a sci-fi movie rolled into one. The canyon played an important role in Jon Favreau's "Cowboys and Aliens."

 

"Cowboys and Aliens": Head for the spooky white hills!

I'd say it's more of a Western than a sci-fi movie, but your mileage may vary. Ultimately there's plenty of both — plus some cool scenery.

 

"Cowboys and Aliens": A space ship hides among the stone pillars of Plaza Blanca

If you didn't know it was there you might not realize there's a huge space ship hiding in the canyon.

 

The hidden space ship revealed

In case you're having trouble finding it, there it is.

 

"Cowboys and Aliens": A space ship in the canyon is rarely a good sign

As the big finale plays out, and the fate of the human race hangs in the balance, we get a better look at the ship.

 

"Chimney Rock," Ghost Ranch, N.M.

If you like your background hills with a little more color in them, northern New Mexico may have what you're looking for in Ghost Ranch, a few miles northwest of Plaza Blanca.

 

Georgia O'Keeffe's house in Ghost Ranch, N.M. (now owned by the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum)

The region's scenic beauty received a lot of high-profile publicity after famed artist Georgia O'Keeffe, known as "The Mother of American Modernism," moved to Ghost Ranch and began featuring it in her paintings.

 

Georgia O'Keeffe's "pet rock" — Cerro Pedernal

The distinctive peak known as Cerro Pedernal, situated directly across from O'Keeffe's house, was one of her personal favorites, and she painted it countless times over the course of five decades.

 

"My Front Yard, Summer 1941" — painting of Cerro Pedernal by Georgia O'Keeffe

O'Keeffe has been quoted saying of Cerro Pedernal: "God told me if I painted it enough, I could have it."

 

Cerro Pedernal (painting by Georgia O'Keeffe)

After O'Keeffe's death in Santa Fe in 1986 at age 98, her ashes were spread on Cerro Pedernal.

 

"The Magnificent Seven" (2016): Ethan Hawke appears oblivious to Cerro Pedernal, right behind him

The peak has also received attention from Hollywood, and turns up regularly in Westerns shot in New Mexico. It can be helpful in pinpointing productions filmed in and around Ghost Ranch.

 

"Wyatt Earp" (1994): Georgia O'Keeffe would be pleased

Once you know it's there, Cerro Pedernal is hard to miss. Its name translates in English to "Flint Hill."

 

"Hostiles" (2017): Cerro Pedernal provides a striking backdrop

Filmmakers are well aware of the peak too, and have discovered ways to put it to good use.

 

"The Legend of the Lone Ranger" (1981): Cerro Pedernal keeps a low profile

The peak's shape is so distinctive that it can be spotted even when it's hidden deep in the background. You may be able to make it out near the top of the photo, slightly right of center.

 

"3:10 to Yuma" (2007)

But Cerro Pedernal does its best work when it has some breathing room.

 

Ghost Ranch, N.M.

Much of the scenery around Ghost Ranch features the prevailing shades of red and yellow in the rock formations — along with splashes of green at the right time of year.

 

"3:10 to Yuma" (2007): Ghost Ranch, N.M.

These patterns, which appear in many contemporary Westerns, have come to be closely identified with the American West as it is depicted in the movies.

 

"Hostiles" (2017): Ghost Ranch, N.M.

This wide shot from "Hostiles" features the same area seen in the "3:10 to Yuma" photo above. The large butte in the background of the "Hostiles" shot, on the right, is the main butte seen in the "3:10 to Yuma" photo.

 

"The Magnificent Seven" (2016): Gunplay at "Volcano Springs"

Here's that same butte again, this time in "The Magnificent Seven," where it adds ambiance to a gunplay sequence taking place in a corral down below. (The guy on the left, refereeing the gunfight, is David Manzanares, who has added an informative comment in the comments section at the end of this post.)

 

"The Magnificent Seven"

A wider shot from the sequence reveals that the corral is part of a larger set — the movie's "Volcano Springs."

 

"The Magnificent Seven": The cabin at Volcano Springs

The Volcano Springs set also includes this cabin, which has appeared in a number of movies.

 

Recent photo of the cabin and corral

The cabin is still there, along with the corral. The set is located just off Highway 84 along the entrance road into Ghost Ranch, about a 15-minute drive northwest from the picturesque town of Abiquiu, N.M.

 

"Hostiles" (2017): One of Ghost Ranch's many chimney rocks

"Hostiles" is an especially good showcase for northern New Mexico and the Ghost Ranch region, because the movie is essentially one long road trip. I thought it was one of the better recent Westerns, too.

 

Ghost Ranch's official "Chimney Rock"

Chimney rocks are among Ghost Ranch's trademark features. I believe this one is actually called "Chimney Rock."

 

"Silverado": Wide shot of the Chimney Rock area

"Silverado" offered its own take on the Chimney Rock formation with this wide shot.

 

"Cowboys and Aliens": Terrific Ghost Ranch footage

"Cowboys and Aliens" also did a nice job with its photography in the Ghost Ranch area.

 

"The Magnificent Seven": More of those trademark Ghost Ranch buttes

And so did "The Magnificent Seven." Some of these buttes may be starting to look familiar by now.

 

"Hostiles": Canyon south of Las Vegas, N.M.

The landscape of New Mexico is vast, and I'm a long way from figuring out where everything is. For example, when I first posted the above screen shot of a beautiful gorge seen in "Hostiles," I figured it was in New Mexico, but didn't know where. That mystery was solved in the comment below from David Manzanares. ... Happy trails.