Fictional ‘Yellowstone’ Ranch Could Easily Be Worth Millions
The 'Yellowstone' ranch is set on a real farmstead in Montana, and its estimated worth and size are pretty impressive.
Nov. 14 2022, Published 11:09 a.m. ET
Fans of the Paramount series Yellowstone have followed the Dutton ranching dynasty through many ups and downs in four full seasons and are now enjoying Season 5. Though ranch life is fairly rare in the U.S. now, the public fascination with these families remains. One top question on viewers’ minds is: how much is the Yellowstone ranch worth?
The sprawling ranch that the fictional Dutton family owns in the popular series certainly covers a lot of land. Although there’s no mention of how much the ranch is worth in the fictional Yellowstone world, one can make an educated guess as to the ranch’s value based on a few things mentioned in the show compared to real-life ranches.
The ‘Yellowstone’ ranch's worth is based on the amount of land.
A couple of clues dropped here and there during certain episodes of the show have given us some idea about the size of the Yellowstone ranch. CheatSheet.com notes that in one episode, Chief Thomas Rainwater tells John Dutton “you own a ranch the size of Rhode Island.” It’s quite possible that’s an exaggeration, but if accurate, it would make the ranch 776,000 acres.
Another clue as to how much land Dutton owns in Yellowstone is in Season 1. Attorney Jamie Dutton says that the ranch is now 200,000 acres larger than when he took on that role.
Some actual ranches in the U.S. offer guidance about the size of the Yellowstone ranch. For example, one Montana rancher, Bill Galt, owns the third-largest segment of land in the entire state, at about 248,000 acres (according to CheatSheet).
Another ranch, located in Texas, is the legendary W.T. Waggoner Ranch. It calls itself the “largest ranch under one fence.” The ranch says it’s about 560,000 acres in total size.
The Waggoner Ranch was sold in 2015 to Stan Kroenke, owner of the Los Angeles Rams and Denver Nuggets. Its purchase price of $725 million offers a bit of an estimate for those wondering about the value of the fictional Dutton ranch on Yellowstone.
Can you visit the ranch on 'Yellowstone'?
Though the lodge isn't for rent, two cabins on the ranch property can be rented overnight.
Fans of the show will be pleased to learn that the ranch on the show is a real-life place, homesteaded by settlers over a century ago. According to Celebrity Net Worth, the Chief Joseph Ranch in the Bitterroot Valley of Montana is an actual family home as well as the filming site of most of Yellowstone.
The ranch has a long history, with members of the Salish Native American tribe inhabiting the land for centuries. It was homesteaded in 1880, then bought by a glass tycoon and federal judge in 1914.
The ranch’s owner, Shane Libel, has said he received a call from show producers and agreed to allow them to film the show at the Chief Joseph Ranch. The ranch website says they are “humbled and honored” that Yellowstone is filmed there.
Yes, you can rent a cabin at Chief Joseph Ranch. Here’s how much it’ll cost.
Owners of the ranch continue to live in the impressive lodge as their family home, while other portions of the ranch are used as the setting of the show. There are two cabins available for rent at Chief Joseph Ranch.
Lee Dutton’s cabin and Rip’s Cabin (the Ben Cook cabin) are available for guests. Staying here for a night isn’t cheap: Lee Dutton’s Cabin costs $1,200 per night for up to four guests, and Rip’s Cabin is $1,500 per night for up to four guests. Both cabins charge another $50 per additional guest, up to eight total.
You also get a tour of the ranch and the sets with every reservation, which makes it appealing lodging for Yellowstone fans.