The Fascinating Story Behind the Real-Life Ranch unveils here. For Kevin Costner and the rest of the crew, authenticity was key. Paramount’s Yellowstone, starring Kevin Costner as John Dutton, returns for season 2 on June 19.
The show focuses on the Dutton family ranch, the largest ranch in the US
Kelly Reilly, who plays Beth Dutton, believes the ranch is the “most central character” of the popular cable show.
When you see Yellowstone, there are many things that will catch your attention. The Paramount series is full of drama, romance, horseback riding, gunfights, and well, Kevin Costner. And when he leaves aside the ongoing conflict, the family struggle and the complicated romance, the stage of the show, the Dutton family ranch, tells a story in itself. In the program, the ranch, which is located in Montana and borders Yellowstone National Park (hence the name of the program), is described as “the largest ranch in the United States.”
Where is Yellowstone really filmed?
Season 1 and 2 were filmed in more than 20 locations around Utah and Montana, primarily in Salt Lake City, Summit, Weber, and Wasatch. The production, which according to Costner was filmed as a movie instead of a television show, uses three different sound stages at the Utah Film Studio in Park City for most of the interior scenes, according to The Salt Lake Tribune. At the premiere of Season 2, Salt Lake City Hall and the Salt Lake City Library will make appearances, playing the role of Montana State University.
What we see onscreen
The mountains, valleys, horses, and more — isn’t Hollywood magic, it’s very real. “You step outside and you see running horses, and men working, and the weather dictates what you do,” Costner told Vanity Fair. For Costner and the rest of the Yellowstone cast, the breathtaking backdrop was a huge draw to be a part of the show. “I don’t think we ever tire of seeing running rivers, valleys, and mountains. If you can set a drama against all that, it’s fun,” Costner said in an interview on CBS This Morning.
10 GREAT BIG YELLOWSTONE FACTS:
- Yellowstone encompasses 3,472 square miles (2,221,766 acres) which makes it larger than Rhode Island and Delaware combined.
- There are more than 10,000 hydrothermal features in Yellowstone. The four types of thermal features are geysers, hot springs, mud pots, and fumaroles.
- Yellowstone is home to more than 500 active geysers (more than half the world’s geysers).
- Yellowstone Lake has 131.7 sq. miles of surface area and 141 miles of shoreline. It is the largest high elevation lake in North America.
- Yellowstone is home to the largest concentration of mammals in the lower 48 states (67 species).
- 285 species of birds can be found in Yellowstone (150 nestings).
- There are more than 1,800 known archaeological sites within the park.
- About 290 waterfalls can be found throughout Yellowstone’s 2.2 million acres.
- Yellowstone houses more than 720,000 museum items, including 30 historic vehicles, millions of archived documents, and more than 20,000 books (many rare), manuscripts, periodicals.
- There are approximately 1,000 miles of hiking trails in Yellowstone.
Final Words
During the summer months, you can even rent one of two smaller log cabins on their property to get a taste of life on the Montana ranch. And no, Kevin Costner isn’t a part of the deal because, sadly, the actor has a ranch of his own. Do you watch this TV program? If yes, let us know your take in the comments below.
