Lonesome Dove: The Western Classic That Made New Mexico a TV Filming Hotspot

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While Vince Gilligan’s shows, like “Breaking Bad” and his new series “Pluribus,” have recently highlighted New Mexico as a great place to film, the state has a long history with television production. Before Walter White arrived, a classic Western series was actually the first to showcase the unique benefits of filming in New Mexico.

Beyond being considered one of the greatest Westerns on television, Lonesome Dove was the first large-scale TV series to film extensively in New Mexico, showcasing the state’s varied scenery. If you enjoy the beautiful, sweeping desert landscapes seen in shows like Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, it’s worth revisiting this classic Western.

New Mexico’s diverse climates and stunning landscapes make it an ideal place to film outdoor scenes and wilderness settings, especially for Westerns. That’s why the state has become a favorite for movie and TV shoots, and Netflix’s American Primeval is the newest example of a Western filmed there.

New Mexico Was A Primary Filming Location For Lonesome Dove

As a huge fan of Westerns, I was fascinated to learn how much of Lonesome Dove was filmed on location in New Mexico! It turns out they actually used sets from other classic Westerns – the Cerro Pelon Ranch, where they filmed Silverado back in ’85, and even Bonanza Creek Ranch, which Sam Elliott worked on for his early TV series, Wild Times. It’s amazing to think about all those legendary scenes being shot in the same places!

According to film location site Giggster, New Mexico provided the backdrop for multiple scenes in Lonesome Dove. Notably, the series used Black Lake in New Mexico to represent Montana during the poignant scene featuring the death of Joshua Deets, played by Danny Glover.

Angel Fire, a village in the mountains, doubled as the scenery for Montana and Wyoming in many parts of the film. The scenes showing the Colorado River crossing were filmed near San Ildefonso Pueblo, along the Rio Grande. And Cerro Pelon Ranch stood in for the towns of Ogallala, Nebraska, and Miles City, Montana.

Lonesome Dove Revived New Mexico’s Popularity As A Filming Location

The late 1980s saw a boost for New Mexico’s film industry, largely thanks to two popular movies: Lonesome Dove and Young Guns. Both, filmed in 1988, demonstrated the state’s ability to convincingly portray Old West landscapes, making it a versatile location for all kinds of films and TV shows.

New Mexico was once a popular backdrop for classic Western films, including Billy Wilder’s Ace in the Hole and Ambush, which starred Robert Taylor. But as Westerns became less popular, Hollywood studios largely stopped filming there before the 1980s.

Films like Young Guns and Lonesome Dove brought a new wave of major movie and TV shoots to the state. This included projects like Chuck Norris’ Walker, Texas Ranger and the blockbuster Armageddon. These productions helped pave the way for Vince Gilligan to begin filming in the area later in the 2000s.

Vince Gilligan Has Made New Mexico The Home Of His TV Shows

The TV show Breaking Bad was filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico primarily because the state offered tax breaks for film and television productions, making it more affordable to hire local staff. But the city quickly became a key element of the show’s overall identity.

Vince Gilligan has relocated both his studio and home to Albuquerque. He’s been there for most of the last month, filming the second season of Pluribus. From now on, it’s likely that any TV show he works on will be at least partially filmed in New Mexico.

New Mexico’s successful TV and film industry owes a lot to Gilligan, but Gilligan itself was built on the foundation laid by earlier hits like Lonesome Dove, which originally brought filmmaking back to the state.

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2026-01-04 22:38