Nearly five hours west of the national park of the same name sits the Yellowstone ranch. In real life, the working cattle ranch in Montana is known as the Chief Joseph Ranch, and it was featured in the pages of AD back in 1994. On Paramount’s hit Western drama, created by Taylor Sheridan, which returned November 10 for the conclusion of its fifth and final season, it’s the Dutton Ranch—and the epicenter of the action. Longtime star Kevin Costner has departed the show, but other members of the Dutton family are back onscreen, with episodes airing on Sundays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Paramount Network until the series finale on December 15.

“This lodge has actually become a character in our show,” set decorator Carla Curry has said, adding that the sprawling estate is really “what makes this show sing.” Owned and operated by rancher Shane Libel and his family since 2012, the land has been occupied since the late 1880s, but it was Yellowstone that thrust the ranch into the limelight. “The most surreal thing in the world—and the most humbling thing in the world,” Libel said, “is when you’re sitting in your own living room watching a show that’s filmed in your house.”

Where is Yellowstone filmed?

Chief Joseph Ranch is the home of Yellowstone’s Dutton Ranch. The property is located in the town of Darby, which is at the southern end of Bitterroot Valley and more than 200 miles west of Bozeman, one of the series’s primary settings.

When was Chief Joseph Ranch built?

“Yellowstone” fans are in for a treat with the hit Western returning after a two-year hiatus. Since the show has built a strong fan base over the years, Montana has seen a surge in tourism, experts told FOX Business.

Morgan Sanders, a travel advisor for Travelmation, explained that tourism has “definitely benefited” since the show aired its first episode in 2018. 

“The popularity of Yellowstone has been really special to watch. Tourism has definitely benefited from interest in the show and crowds can be quite large in peak season, which is April through early August,” Sanders said.

Another travel advisor for Travelmation, Jennifer Pitts, told FOX Business that clients she has worked with in the past are drawn to “experience untamed America” like the Dutton family does in the show.

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“My clients who visit Yellowstone want to experience untamed America by hiking through the land, attending summer rodeos, soaking in hot springs, viewing wildlife in Lamar Valley, having dude ranch experiences such as horse or cattle drives, horseback riding with Instagramable backdrops, wagon rides with horse-drawn carriages, nightly campfires, or just simply breathing in the undeveloped mountain air and sipping coffee outside like John Dutton himself,” Pitts said.

From left to right, Wes Bentley, Gil Birmingham, Kelly Reilly, Kevin Costner, Cole Hauser, Kelsey Asbille and Luke Grimes appear in “Yellowstone.” (Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images / Getty Images)

“Yellowstone” follows the Dutton family through years of trying to save their family ranch in Montana. The star-studded cast includes Kevin Costner, Kelly Reilly, Cole Hauser, Luke Grimes and Wes Bentley.

Pitts told FOX Business her industry has seen an increase in travel to Montana, all thanks to “Yellowstone.”

“Viewers love that they can visit the breathtaking destinations in person and not just through their TV screens.”

– Jennifer Pitts, travel advisor for Travelmation

“I have definitely seen an increase in travel to the Yellowstone area because of the hit show,” she said. “Viewers love that they can visit the breathtaking destinations in person and not just through their TV screens. I anticipate more interest in vacations to the area once the new episodes return.”

Kevin Costner will not appear in the second half of season five of “Yellowstone.” (Photo by Richard Bord/Getty Images for Cannes Lions / Getty Images)

The final installment of season five of “Yellowstone” debuted on Paramount+ on Nov. 10. Although the series was set to conclude after season five, negotiations for a sixth season of the Paramount show are currently underway, Deadline reported.

No deals have been reached, sources told the outlet in August, but “Yellowstone” will likely continue with Hauser and Reilly as the leads. Costner is not featured in the second half of season five – and his sendoff infuriated fans.

In August, Fox News Digital reached out to Paramount about the report, but a representative for the company declined to comment.

“Yellowstone” fans have ventured to Montana for vacations. (Getty Images / Getty Images)

Pitts told FOX Business there is a variety of places to stay for interested travelers, but her favorite place to stay is “Dreamcatcher Tipi Hotel near Gardiner, Montana.”

“One of my favorite places to stay is Dreamcatcher Tipi Hotel near Gardiner, Montana, which is actually as the name implies: tipis (teepees) and not a hotel at all,” she said. 

“These tipis allow you the luxury of a hot shower and nighttime lights, while sleeping in a tipi much like people in the area did hundreds of years ago. This glamping-style vacation is more luxurious than it sounds. Each tipi has a plush king bed and electricity, so it’s not really considered “roughing it.” Waking up with animals grazing right outside is magical. It is about a 30-minute drive from the Lamar Valley area which is known for grazing buffalo and an abundance of wildlife,” Pitts continued.

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If fans want to stay at the actual Dutton Ranch, that is an option, according to Sanders.

Kelly Reilly will reportedly appear in season six of “Yellowstone.” (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Paramount Network / Getty Images)

“The Dutton Ranch is a real place in Darby, Montana that fans can visit. Its real name is the Chief Joseph Ranch, and it’s a working ranch with guest cabins,” she explained. 

“Visitors can stay right in Lee and Rip’s cabins and get a tour of the sets, but it’s not easy to book! Sadly, there are no reservations available for this year or next, but people can take photos near the front gates if they are respectful of the property and the show is not in production,” Sanders continued. 

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“It’s a must-see for big fans of ‘Yellowstone,’” she concluded.

HELENA — Under Montana state law property tax payments in the Treasure State are due twice a year in May and November. However, beginning in the 2025 property tax payment period Montanans can pay their property taxes in a series of seven monthly installments rather than paying the standard twice yearly lump-sum payments.

This new program was made possible through House Bill 830, an act providing an alternative payment schedule for property taxes.

This bill passed in 2023, and you can apply now to participate in the program on 2025 property tax payments.

American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) Montana state director Tim Summers says the association supported the legislation and program because it can help reduce financial stress on Montana seniors. “We supported this first and foremost because it makes aging easier, it makes it easier for older Montanans 50-plus to pay their property tax bill, if anything we can do to make the aging process easier, we’re all about that.”

Summers adds, “It is a very significant strain on seniors to be able to keep up with rising property values many seniors find themselves house rich and cash poor. The more property values increase, the harder it can be for them to keep up with those property taxes and so therefore programs like this are essential to be able to keep them in their homes, aging where they want to.”

The program also aims to make it easier for other populations to balance their property tax payments with addition other cost of living expenses.

“The new, optional payment plan will make it easier for anyone on a fixed income – including older Montanans — to better meet their property tax obligations, while managing their household budget at the same time,” said Summers in a news release on the AARP States Montana webpage.