Netflix’s Ransom Canyon has captivated audiences with its sweeping romance, family feuds, and the rugged beauty of its Texas Hill Country setting, but the show’s real magic lies in its filming locations. While the series is set in the fictionalized Ransom Canyon, inspired by a real town in Texas, the production team traded the Lone Star State for the cinematic landscapes of New Mexico to bring this Western saga to life. From historic ranches to charming small-town streets, the locations in Santa Fe, Albuquerque, and Las Vegas, New Mexico, create a visual feast that feels straight out of a classic Western. These real-life backdrops, steeped in history and Hollywood legacy, not only elevate the show’s drama but also spark wanderlust among fans eager to visit. Dive into the stunning places where Ransom Canyon was filmed, explore the real Ransom Canyon, Texas, and learn why these locations have everyone buzzing with excitement.
The Real-Life Filming Locations of Ransom Canyon
Ransom Canyon, which premiered on Netflix on April 17, 2025, was filmed primarily in New Mexico, a state renowned for its diverse landscapes and rich cinematic history. Showrunner April Blair chose New Mexico over the real Ransom Canyon, Texas, to capture a heightened, romanticized version of the story’s setting, as described in Jodi Thomas’ novels. The production spanned January to June 2024, employing over 700 local crew members and utilizing a mix of working ranches, historic sites, and urban hubs. Here’s a closer look at the key locations that bring the show’s world to life.
Santa Fe, New Mexico: The Heart of the Ranches
Santa Fe, with its adobe architecture and expansive desert vistas, served as the primary filming hub for Ransom Canyon’s ranch settings. The city’s high-desert landscape, at 7,000 feet above sea level, offers dramatic backdrops of mountains and open plains, perfectly suited for the show’s themes of land and legacy. Several iconic ranches in the Santa Fe area were used to portray the homes of the main characters:
Bonanza Creek Ranch: This historic 1,000-acre ranch, located just south of Santa Fe, doubles as Quinn O’Grady’s (Minka Kelly) cozy pond house. A working cattle ranch since the 1800s, Bonanza Creek has appeared in over 150 films and TV shows, including Silverado and Cowboys & Aliens. Its rustic adobe buildings, rolling hills, and serene pond create an idyllic setting for Quinn’s introspective journey. However, the ranch carries a somber history: it was the site of the 2021 Rust tragedy, where cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot in a prop gun incident, adding a layer of real-world weight to its cinematic charm.
Blame Her Ranch: Portraying Davis Collins’ (Eoin Macken) luxurious Bar W Ranch, Blame Her Ranch is a 2,000-acre retreat near Santa Fe, boasting panoramic views stretching 70 miles. With a main lodge featuring 30-inch log walls, a chef’s kitchen, a home theater, and a cauldron hot tub, the ranch reflects Davis’ wealth and ambition. Available for rent, it sleeps up to 44 guests, making it a bucket-list destination for fans. Its proximity to the Santa Fe National Forest enhances its Western allure, aligning with the show’s high-stakes land disputes.
Buena Vista Ranch: Cap Fuller’s (James Brolin) rugged estate is filmed at Buena Vista Ranch, a sprawling property across San Miguel, Mora, and Colfax counties, about 90 miles from Santa Fe. Its isolated, weathered structures and vast terrain mirror Cap’s brash, independent spirit and the drama surrounding his grandson Yancy Grey (Jack Schumacher). The ranch’s cinematic scale amplifies the show’s sweeping visuals, making it a standout location.
Las Vegas, New Mexico: The Small-Town Charm
The town of Ransom Canyon itself, with its dance hall, chapel, and community spaces, was brought to life in Las Vegas, New Mexico, about 60 miles east of Santa Fe. Not to be confused with its Nevada namesake, this Las Vegas is a historic gem with over 900 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. Its preserved 19th-century architecture, including Victorian homes and Old West storefronts, provides the perfect backdrop for the show’s small-town vibe. Key scenes, such as those at Quinn’s dance hall and the chapel where Yancy’s wedding cliffhanger unfolds, were filmed here. The town’s Plaza Park and surrounding streets, lined with brick buildings and retro signage, evoke a timeless Western aesthetic that complements the show’s nostalgic tone. Las Vegas has a storied Hollywood past, having hosted productions like Longmire and No Country for Old Men, and its warm community welcomed the Ransom Canyon cast, with locals often appearing as extras.
Albuquerque, New Mexico: Urban and Rural Balance
Albuquerque, New Mexico’s largest city, provided additional filming sites, blending urban and rural elements. The city’s outskirts, with their mix of desert landscapes and modern infrastructure, stood in for scenes involving Austin Water & Power’s pipeline project and the teens’ hangouts, like Gracie’s coffee shop. Albuquerque’s film-friendly policies and proximity to ranches like Dead Horse Ranch, which portrays Staten Kirkland’s (Josh Duhamel) Double K Ranch, made it a logistical hub. Dead Horse Ranch, located between Las Vegas and Santa Fe, spans over 6,100 acres and features barns, cabins, and equestrian facilities, embodying Staten’s practical, land-focused lifestyle. Albuquerque’s vibrant arts scene and diverse locations ensured seamless transitions between the show’s intimate character moments and its broader, land-driven conflicts.
Why New Mexico?
New Mexico’s selection as the filming location was strategic. The state’s varied terrain—from mountains to deserts—offered a more cinematic version of the Texas Hill Country than the real Ransom Canyon could provide. Its tax incentives, skilled local crew, and established film infrastructure, dubbed “Tamalewood,” made it a cost-effective choice. Posts on X from the New Mexico Film Office celebrated the production, noting that Ransom Canyon employed hundreds of locals and showcased the state’s beauty. The decision to film in New Mexico also allowed Blair to craft a heightened, almost mythical Ransom Canyon, as she described to Forbes: “It’s not a real place—it’s an idea of a place, of longing, family, and legacy”. This romanticized vision resonates with fans, who’ve taken to X to praise the show’s “gorgeous” landscapes, with one user gushing, “The ranches in Ransom Canyon make me want to pack up and move to New Mexico!”.
The Real Ransom Canyon, Texas: A Western Gem
While the show was filmed in New Mexico, it’s inspired by the real Ransom Canyon, a small town in Lubbock County, Texas, with a population of about 1,159. Nestled in the Llano Estacado region, the town is named “Cañon de Rescate” (Canyon of Ransom) after its history of Spanish and Anglo traders negotiating with Comanche tribes for hostages in the 19th century. Its landscape, marked by a 10-mile canyon, springs, and buffalo wallows, has drawn Native American tribes, buffalo hunters, and cowboys for centuries. Today, it’s a quiet, affluent community known for its scenic beauty, with homes perched along the canyon’s red rock cliffs and a lake ideal for fishing and boating.
Unlike the show’s sprawling ranches, the real Ransom Canyon is more modest, with a median household income of $106,600 and a focus on residential charm. Its history includes quirky tales, like residents once tossing beer cans into the canyon to “feed the fish,” a practice now replaced by conservation efforts. The town’s Western heritage, tied to cattle ranching and the nearby Buffalo Springs, aligns with the show’s themes, but its scale couldn’t match Netflix’s vision. Blair and her team visited Lubbock for inspiration, consulting with Jodi Thomas, a Ransom Canyon resident, to capture the town’s spirit. Thomas told Marie Claire she was thrilled with the adaptation, noting that the show’s heightened drama honors the “feeling” of her novels, even if the locations are more grandiose.
Fans curious about the real Ransom Canyon can visit its public park, hike its trails, or attend community events like the annual Fourth of July fireworks. However, the town’s small size and lack of large-scale ranches made New Mexico a better fit for filming. The contrast between the real town’s understated charm and the show’s lush visuals has sparked online chatter, with X users marveling at how “a tiny Texas town inspired such a big, beautiful show”.
Why These Locations Matter
The filming locations of Ransom Canyon are more than just pretty backdrops—they’re integral to the show’s emotional and thematic resonance. New Mexico’s ranches, with their storied pasts, mirror the characters’ struggles over land and legacy. Bonanza Creek’s tragic history adds a poignant layer to Quinn’s serene pond house, while Buena Vista’s isolation underscores Cap’s embattled ranch. Las Vegas, New Mexico, brings the community spirit of Ransom Canyon to life, grounding the soap-opera drama in a relatable small-town feel. Albuquerque’s versatility ties the narrative together, from corporate schemes to teenage romances.
These locations also fuel the show’s escapist appeal. Fans on X have expressed a desire to book stays at Blame Her Ranch or explore Santa Fe’s trails, inspired by the show’s visuals. Country Living called the settings “a love letter to the American West,” noting their role in making Ransom Canyon a “visual vacation”. The ranches’ availability for rent—Bonanza Creek and Blame Her offer lodging—has turned Ransom Canyon into a travel influencer, with viewers dreaming of living like Staten or Davis. The real Ransom Canyon, Texas, meanwhile, offers a quieter allure, inviting fans to discover the roots of Jodi Thomas’ story.
The Cinematic and Cultural Impact
Ransom Canyon’s New Mexico locations highlight the state’s growing status as a Hollywood hub, following in the footsteps of Breaking Bad and Oppenheimer. The production boosted local economies, with New Mexico’s film office reporting significant job creation. Culturally, the show taps into the enduring appeal of Westerns, blending Yellowstone’s grit with Virgin River’s romance. Its settings evoke a timeless West, where ranches symbolize both freedom and conflict, resonating with viewers seeking comfort in a chaotic world. Blair’s vision, as shared with ScreenRant, was to create a “nourishing” series, and the locations amplify this, offering a backdrop that feels both aspirational and authentic.
The real Ransom Canyon, Texas, benefits from the show’s spotlight, drawing attention to its history and natural beauty. Local businesses, like the Ransom Canyon Chapel, have seen increased interest, with fans curious about the “real” dance hall or chapel. The contrast between the show’s grandeur and the town’s simplicity adds to its mystique, making both the filmed and real locations part of the Ransom Canyon phenomenon.
Challenges and Future Prospects
Filming in New Mexico wasn’t without challenges. The state’s high-altitude climate posed difficulties, with cast members like Garrett Wareing enduring freezing water for scenes like the skinny-dipping sequence. Coordinating across multiple counties required logistical precision, and the Rust tragedy cast a shadow over Bonanza Creek, necessitating strict safety protocols. Yet, these hurdles produced a visually stunning result, with Rotten Tomatoes reviewers praising the show’s “gorgeous cinematography” as a highlight.
If Ransom Canyon is renewed for Season 2—a likely prospect given its No. 1 Netflix ranking and active writers’ room—New Mexico will likely remain the filming hub. The state’s infrastructure and the cast’s familiarity with locations like Dead Horse Ranch make it a practical choice. A second season could explore new sites, perhaps delving deeper into Las Vegas’ historic districts or introducing a neighboring town to expand the narrative, aligning with the broader scope of Thomas’ novels like Rustler’s Moon.
Conclusion
Ransom Canyon’s filming locations in New Mexico transform a Texas-inspired story into a Western masterpiece, with Santa Fe’s ranches, Las Vegas’ small-town charm, and Albuquerque’s versatility creating a world fans can’t get enough of. From the historic Bonanza Creek to the luxurious Blame Her Ranch, these real-life settings ground the show’s drama in breathtaking authenticity, while the real Ransom Canyon, Texas, adds a layer of cultural intrigue. As viewers dream of visiting these places and await news of a Season 2, the locations remain a testament to the show’s power to transport and inspire. Stream Ransom Canyon on Netflix to immerse yourself in its stunning world, and join the conversation on X about why these Western paradises are stealing the spotlight. Saddle up for a visual journey like no other!
