Where Was “Ransom Canyon” Filmed? See the Show’s Picturesque Locations

Despite its Texas setting, ‘Ransom Canyon’ was filmed elsewhere in the United States

NEED TO KNOW

• Netflix’s Ransom Canyon is based on Jodi Thomas’ bestselling novels and stars Josh Duhamel and Minka Kelly

• Albuquerque and Santa Fe, N.M., served as key filming locations for the show’s picturesque Western landscapes

• Iconic spots like Los Poblanos Inn were transformed into the fictional town’s settings

Few shows make you want to trade city life for a ranch quite like Ransom Canyon.

With its expansive ranch land and postcard-worthy sunsets, the Netflix Western romance has made viewers want to pack up their boots and head straight for the fictional town at the center of the drama. But while Ransom Canyon may look like a real place, there’s a little movie magic behind those unforgettable landscapes.

The hit series — which is based on Jodi Thomas’ bestselling novels and stars Josh Duhamel as Staten Kirkland and Minka Kelly as Quinn O’Grady — follows ranching families whose lives become tangled through love and loss. But creator April Blair has said the show is more than just its titular town.

“At its core, Ransom Canyon isn’t just a town, it’s an idea,” Blair told Netflix’s Tudum in April 2025. “It’s the painful longing for your first love. It’s the burning desire to protect your family — Ransom has it all.”

But it’s hard not to turn your attention to the scenery that helps give the series its Western charm. Here’s everything to know about Ransom Canyon‘s filming locations.

Albuquerque, N.M.

Albuquerque, N.M., actually served as one of Ransom Canyon‘s biggest production hubs. While many interior scenes were filmed at Netflix Studios Albuquerque, the cast and crew also transformed several well-known locations around the city into places viewers see throughout the series.

“It was the perfect spot to go shoot,” Duhamel said of Netflix’s Albuquerque studio in a studio interview. Kelly agreed, saying that the city had “the most beautiful skies” and “the most delicious food.”

As someone who grew up there and hadn’t been back since childhood, Kelly said she was “amazed at what a huge, proper studio this was,” and couldn’t “stop thinking about what [her] teenage self would be thinking.”

Perhaps one of the most recognizable is Los Poblanos Historic Inn & Organic Farm, which hosted the dinner party scene in season 1, episode 2. The property features historic adobe buildings and acres of lavender fields. Guests can actually stay there in boutique hotel rooms, and amenities include complimentary s’mores kits, daily wellness classes and an outdoor saltwater pool.

Elsewhere, Valley High School doubled as Ransom Canyon High School, while the Johnson Center on the University of New Mexico campus stood in for the University of Texas at Austin.

Netflix returned to New Mexico to film season 2 of the show, employing around 700 local cast and crew members for various roles throughout the series.

“The return of Ransom Canyon for its second season is a powerful statement about our state’s production capabilities,” New Mexico Film Office Director Steve Graham said in a 2025 statement.

Santa Fe, N.M.

Quinn’s beautiful home was filmed at the Pond House Set on Bonanza Creek Ranch, a longtime filming destination just outside Santa Fe, N.M. The two-story home features a wraparound porch and a finished interior, making it the perfect option for Quinn’s peaceful retreat.

The ranch also appears in the season 1 finale, with its Mountain Cabin Set serving as the small wooden chapel featured in the episode “Maybe It’s Time Yancy Grey Dies Too.” The main home becomes even more prominent in season 2 as Quinn fights to keep the property after her mother Claire O’Grady’s (Patricia Clarkson) arrival puts it at risk of being sold.

The Santa Fe area also provided the setting for one of the season’s biggest gatherings. The lake party in season 1, episode 6, “We Need to Talk About Reid,” was filmed at Nambe Falls Reservoir, which is about 16 miles north of Santa Fe.

Ribera, N.M.

Some of Ransom Canyon‘s most important properties were filmed in the greater Santa Fe area, including Staten’s sprawling Double K Ranch. The ranch’s exterior scenes were shot at Dead Horse Ranch, which is a historic 6,100-acre property near Ribera, N.M., between Santa Fe and Las Vegas.

Meanwhile, Blame Her Ranch, also located near Ribera, stood in for Davis Collins’ (Eoin Macken) Bar W Ranch, providing the backdrop for many of Davis’ scenes in the first season. The ranch can also be rented out for weddings and family reunions.

Las Vegas, N.M.

The series found its small-town heart in Las Vegas, N.M., as much of the downtown action was filmed around the city’s historic Plaza Park in both seasons. Established in 1835, several of the show’s most recognizable businesses are real Las Vegas landmarks.

Gracie’s Dance Hall, the social hub of Ransom Canyon which is owned and operated by Quinn, uses the exterior of the historic Emmanuel Rosenwald Building, a Beaux-Arts structure that dates back to the early 1900s.

Meanwhile, Quinn and Davis’ restaurant scene in the season 1 premiere, “Don’t Let Me Fall,” was filmed inside the Historic Plaza Hotel. This iconic property has welcomed guests since 1882 and has also appeared in films including No Country for Old Men.

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