Where Was “True Grit” Filmed?

Have you watched the movie and wondered: “where was True Grit filmed?” It’s one of John Wayne’s most famous and enduring Westerns. The plot focuses on Mattie Ross, a girl who hires John Wayne’s Rooster Cogburn to track down her father’s killer. The film is based on a book of the same name by Charles Portis, and went on to be adapted again by the Coen Brothers in 2010.

What has kept audiences returning to these two great Westerns? The storytelling and compelling relationship between Mattie Ross and Rooster Cogburn is an easy one for audiences to root for. Cogburn’s curmudgeonly nature contrasted with the earnestness of Ross provides plenty of entertainment.

Another fantastic element of these movies is the beautiful cinematography, which showcases some of the most stunning landscapes you’ll see on film. This will lead a lot of viewers to have a lingering question on their minds while watching the movie: where was “True Grit” filmed?

We have the answers for you today for both the original film and its 2010 adaptation. We also share how you can rent one of the original filming locations for “True Grit” yourself! Peerspace has you covered for a huge variety of filming locations and production spaces. So stay tuned for that at the end of the article. In the meantime, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty and begin to explore the Old West.

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“True Grit” (1969): Ridgeway, Colorado

Watching Mattie Ross and Rooster Cogburn travel from a big town to the snowy peaks is quite the visual spectacle. It’s also one that’s sure to raise the question: where was “True Grit” filmed?

If you’ve seen the original “True Grit,” you may remember it taking place in and around Arkansas and Oklahoma. However, it was easier to bring the production to Ridgeway, Colorado for the snow scenes. The town’s website shows just how proud they are to have hosted the production. In fact, they transformed into the town of Fort Smith, Arkansas for six weeks. If you visit Ridgeway today you’ll witness just how much they love the movie. There’s even a John Wayne-themed restaurant called the True Grit Cafe.

And what about specific filming locations of some memorable scenes from the movie? For starters, they filmed the gallows scene in the town’s park. And who can forget Mattie Ross’s ranch, which bookends the film? It’s just outside of town on the aptly named Last Dollar Road. The town also asks that you be mindful that it is private property. However, but you can get quite the view from the side of the road.

Lastly, the town website also tells us about the famous scene where Rooster Cogburn has his showdown with the outlaws. This was at Katie’s Meadow, a place that locals apparently sometimes call Debbie’s Meadow or Deb’s Meadow. The imposing rockface was the perfect backdrop for a final duel. And if you visit today, you’ll find that it provides a breathtaking view in person.

Now that we’ve answered the question “Where was ‘True Grit’ filmed?”, we can move on to the Coen Brothers’ 2010 adaptation.

“True Grit” (2010): Texas and New Mexico

As you might from the Coen Brothers, their adaptation of “True Grit” has more dark comedy to it than the original. They chose Hailee Steinfeld to play Mattie Ross and Jeff Bridges for the role of Rooster Cogburn, both bringing something new and interesting to the characters.

Another new aspect of this production was completely different filming locations from the first movie. So let’s go ahead and answer the question “Where was ‘True Grit’ filmed?”

According to Movie Locations, this time the town of Fort Smith, Arkansas was actually Granger, Texas, a small town just north of the more famous Austin. They also filmed in the Texas town of Bartlett, which is something of a ghost town now according to the article. It was “famed for its existing late nineteenth and early twentieth century architecture, which has previously been seen in feature films such as 1995’s The Stars Fell On Henrietta, with Robert Duvall, and Richard Linklater’s 1998 The Newton Boys, with Matthew McConaughey and Ethan Hawke.”

Lastly, the town of Blanco, Texas is where they filmed the courtroom scene when Rooster Cogburn testifies at the beginning of the movie.

They primarily shot the latter half of the movie, when the trio heads out in search of the outlaws, in New Mexico. If you want to tour the area for yourself, explore the San Cristobal Ranch, which has been the location for a plethora of productions.

They filmed the showdown between Rooster and the outlaws at the Charles R Ranch in Arkansas. There is a cave on that property that they used as the rattlesnake-infested mine shaft. You’ve got lots of ground to cover to see real-life True Grit filming locations. Before we go, though, we’ll explain how you can even film your own project at one of these locations!

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A “True Grit” (1969) filming location available on Peerspace

Remember when we mentioned Last Dollar Ranch in Colorado? Turns out that if you want to explore it for yourself or are an aspiring creative looking to do your own filming, you’re in luck!

Take a look at the listing for the “True Grit” Production Ranch in the San Juan Mountains. It has everything you need if you’re a filmmaker trying to film the perfect “True Grit”-inspired scene. Here’s what the host has to say about his property: “This is a beautiful cabin that borders Ralph Lauren’s ranch and the last dollar ranch in the San Juan mountains. True Grit was filmed here (the original). The cabin and barn are rustic gold and straight out of central casting.”

Peerspace has even more great filming locations like this one available for hourly rental, so be sure to check it out!

Find unique filming locations on Peerspace