When you enter RANSOM CANYON, you’re immediately drawn into a landscape that seems to have been there for a long time. There are dusty roads that wind through vast, empty land, and red mesas that reach to the horizon. The town itself seems to be alive with history, pain, and hope. While the series tells a fictional story set deep in the Texas Hill Country, the rugged beauty you see on-screen is very real — and filmed far from the Lone Star State.
The Western romance drama stars Josh Duhamel as Staten Kirkland, a brooding rancher nursing a broken heart. Alongside him, Minka Kelly plays Quinn O’Grady, the spirited owner of the local dancehall caught between love and loyalty. But while these characters capture our attention, the backdrop — wild, warm, and windswept — becomes a character of its own. So, where was RANSOM CANYON actually filmed? Let’s take a deep dive into the real-world locations that brought this fictional Texas town to life.
ABOUT THE SERIES: THE STORY OF RANSOM CANYON
RANSOM CANYON, based on the bestselling book series by Jodi Thomas, is not a true story but rather a romantic reimagining of life in a small Texas town. The 10-episode first season follows three powerful ranching families whose lives are thrown into turmoil when outside threats put their land and legacies at risk.
At the center of the story is Staten Kirkland, played by Josh Duhamel, a man who has been hurt by loss and is holding on to the Double K Ranch he inherited. His friendship with Quinn O’Grady (Minka Kelly) is complicated by their past, their rivalries, and their secrets. When Davis Collins (Eoin Macken), Staten’s main rival, comes into the picture, things get tense.
James Brolin appears as a seasoned ex-Army captain turned rancher, while Marianly Tejada, Jack Schumacher, and others round out a dynamic ensemble cast. The series blends romance, mystery, and legacy drama — all with a classic Western flair. But its emotional impact wouldn’t be the same without its visually stunning locations.
WHERE WAS RANSOM CANYON FILMED?
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Filming for RANSOM CANYON took place between January 30 and June 17, 2024, across multiple locations in New Mexico, a favorite destination for productions seeking expansive vistas and Old West charm. Though the story is set in Texas, New Mexico’s varied terrain and historic sets made it a perfect stand-in for the Hill Country.
Let’s break down each key filming location and how it contributed to the look and feel of the show.
📍 ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO
Much of the series was filmed in Albuquerque, the state’s largest city, known for its thriving film industry. Home to many modern and rural filming facilities, Albuquerque doubled as parts of Ransom Canyon’s small-town setting.
Minka Kelly, who grew up in Albuquerque, found the experience deeply personal. In an interview, she shared, “I hadn’t been back since childhood… Going back in this way just took away the boogeyman. There were places I visited from my childhood that I would think, ‘Man, if the Minka at that time would have ever imagined I’d be back here shooting this show, I never would have believed it.’”
The city provided both personal closure for Kelly and a beautiful filming base that allowed the show’s production to craft both interior and exterior shots of Ransom Canyon’s town center, homes, and community hubs.
📍 SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO
Next up is Santa Fe, the state capital and a hotspot for Western filmmaking. With its preserved adobe architecture and surrounding desert landscape, Santa Fe gave the series the kind of authenticity that is hard to replicate on soundstages.
Many of the more intimate, romantic, and dramatic scenes between characters were filmed in and around Santa Fe. The city’s surrounding areas, with their mix of canyons and scrubland, lent themselves well to scenes involving horseback riding, quiet reflection, and tense confrontations.
Josh Duhamel noted that he connected deeply with Staten’s bond to the land. “I really related to this character… It’s very much about family, legacy, and the land,” he said. For those scenes of Staten alone on the ranch, contemplating loss or preparing to fight for his legacy, Santa Fe’s vast natural beauty added emotional weight.
📍 BONANZA CREEK RANCH, SANTA FE
No Western-inspired show would be complete without a classic Old West film set. Bonanza Creek Ranch, located just outside Santa Fe, provided that exact cinematic touch. Known for hosting iconic productions like 3:10 to Yuma, Cowboys & Aliens, and News of the World, this working movie ranch was the perfect choice for filming RANSOM CANYON.
Many of the show’s exterior shots — including the local dancehall owned by Quinn, the rival ranches, and the dusty roads that connect them — were filmed here. Bonanza Creek Ranch’s historically styled buildings and surrounding hills made it a seamless substitute for a Texas frontier town.
Bonanza Creek has a storied history, having hosted over 150 productions, including Silverado and Lonesome Dove. For Ransom Canyon, it provided the setting for everything from tense confrontations to heartfelt family scenes, making it the heartbeat of the series’ visual storytelling.
Its flexible layout allowed for dynamic action sequences, community gatherings, and late-night rendezvous — all key elements in the unfolding drama. It also gave the show an old-school Western atmosphere while keeping the setting grounded in a modern-day story.
Interestingly, both lead actors had personal connections to the land they filmed on. Josh Duhamel, who grew up in North Dakota and owns land in Minnesota, said the themes of land ownership and legacy hit close to home. “[I] have a place in Minnesota with some property… developing it with the intention of raising my kids there and hopefully someday they’ll pass it on to their kids,” he shared.
This sense of generational attachment is mirrored in Staten’s fight to preserve his family ranch, making the performance feel that much more authentic.
Though the land is rugged and the story often steeped in masculine legacy, RANSOM CANYON was shaped largely through a female perspective. April Blair, the series creator, showrunner, and executive producer, helmed a largely female crew — including a female producing director, assistant director, and line producer.
This female-forward creative force brought depth and emotional intelligence to the show’s relationships, particularly the ones involving Quinn and her best friend Ellie (played by Marianly Tejada).
Blair emphasized the importance of filming from a female gaze. “It’s the burning desire to protect your family. It’s cowboys and lovers, grifters and thieves. Lust, deceit, heartache, home … Ransom has it all,” she told Tudum. The New Mexico landscape helped illustrate all of that — not just visually, but emotionally.
Though RANSOM CANYON is set in Texas Hill Country, New Mexico was chosen for its film-friendly environment, available tax incentives, and incredibly versatile filming locations. With established infrastructure for TV and film productions, the state continues to attract large-scale series, especially Western-themed projects.
Its landscapes — from sprawling desert plains to lush canyons and sun-drenched hills — provide a visually stunning alternative that still feels grounded in the American Southwest.
In RANSOM CANYON, the land isn’t just a setting — it’s the soul of the show. From the dusty streets of a small town to the boundless fields of the Kirkland and Collins ranches, every frame speaks to legacy, identity, and struggle.
Thanks to Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and the iconic Bonanza Creek Ranch, Netflix’s RANSOM CANYON captures the romantic grandeur of the American West while telling a story of love, loss, and survival.
Whether you’re tuning in for the tangled relationships, the high-stakes rivalries, or just to escape into a world where the sunsets seem to go on forever — know that the land you see on-screen is as powerful as the characters who inhabit it.
Stay connected with tvacute.com for more updates, behind-the-scenes insights, and episode recaps from RANSOM CANYON. The heart of the West beats strong — and we’re bringing you every detail.
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