Wyoming

Of The Greatest Westerns Ever Made, Wyoming Is Tops — Even If They Aren't Filmed Here

Published

2 years ago

January 28, 2024

Of The Greatest Westerns Ever Made, Wyoming Is Tops — Even If They Aren't Filmed Here

The American Film Institute defines Westerns as films “set in the American West that embody the spirit, the struggle and the demise of the new frontier.”

The themes and aesthetics of the Western genre are prevalent throughout the American West, but perhaps nowhere as pronounced and authentic as Wyoming, where Western culture is dominant. That why it makes sense that the Cowboy State is a favorite choice for setting and filming Westerns.

And Wyoming’s Westerns include some of the genre’s most revered films ever made.

But while it’s often a backdrop for Hollywood productions, it’s rarely a background. Wyoming can simultaneously be seen everywhere and almost nowhere.

The Good, The Better, And The Best

Steve Latshaw is a filmmaker and historian with more than 30 credits as a writer and director. He is also a historical advisor for the Museum of Western Film History in Lone Pine, California, a community used as a location for countless Western films and television shows.

Latshaw said he was “astonished” when he realized how prevalent Wyoming is in the Western genre.

“When I think of Westerns, you tend to default to the obvious states: California, Arizona, New Mexico, certainly Texas,” he said. “However, there were not only a significant number of Western films set in Wyoming, but a significant number of important Westerns. That’s critical.”

He is not alone in that opinion. In 2008, the American Film Institute (AFI) published its 10 Top 10, lists of the 10 greatest American films in 10 film genres, including Westerns.

Of the top 10 Westerns on AFI’s list, four — “Cat Ballou,” “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” “Unforgiven” and “Shane” — are set in Wyoming. At 40%, that makes the Cowboy State better represented than any other state on the list.

But that’s representation as a setting for these films, not as a location for actually making them. Of those four, only “Shane” was set and shot in Wyoming. That’s because there are two sides to Wyoming’s place in Western films: as a setting and as a location.

Alan Ladd starred in the 1953 classic “Shane,” which was filmed in the Jackson Hole area. (Cowboy State Daily Staff)
The “Shane” cabin featured in the classic Western is still in Grand Teton National Park. (Getty Images)
A scene from “Shane” set in front of a graveyard with the Grand Tetons in the background. (Cowboy State Daily Staff)

As A Setting

American writer Frank Gruber identified seven “basic plots” for Westerns. While not universal, most follow at least one of these seven storylines: the Union Pacific, the Ranch, the Empire, the Revenge, the Cavalry and Indian, the Outlaw, and the Marshal.

Each plot has its staples and characters, such as the elaborate chases and mystery of the Revenge Story or the threats of rustlers and nefarious landowners in the Ranch Story. Most Westerns incorporate some of these troupes.

Based on the basics of the seven plots, Latshaw can see why Wyoming is such a critical and prized setting for Western films. It’s a lot easier to build characters and stories when the state’s history already has such fertile history for the plot.

“Whenever you’re going to write a Western, particularly a period Western or historical Western, you’re going to look for story ideas in terms of the history that was there,” he said. “In other words, are there real-life stories? And there are so many dramatic events in Wyoming that would be a good setting for the characters and a story you want to tell.”

There are tons of precedents for all the basic Western plots in Wyoming’s history. The Johnson County Wars, the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad, the Hole in the Wall Gang, other outlaws and gunslingers, and countless other authentic histories rife with dramatic potential.

Of course, all Western states have historical fodder for Westerns, like The Alamo in Texas or the OK Corral in Tombstone, Arizona. But Wyoming has a little bit of everything.

“When you’re setting a film in the American West, you’re going to look for historical lynchpins to sort of hang your story on,” Latshaw said. “I think Wyoming is up there with many states with rich and vivid stories.”

Hollywood built its prestige and profits by transporting audiences to any place and time to tell compelling stories. But that doesn’t mean film studios actually have to go there to be there, and that has been Hollywood’s approach for most of Wyoming’s Westerns.

Paul Newman as Butch Cassidy with the Hole in the Wall Gang in a scene from “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.” (Cowboy State Daily Staff)
Robert Redford as The Sundance Kid and Paul Newman as Butch Cassidy. (Cowboy State Daily Staff)
Robert Redford as The Sundance Kid and Paul Newman as Butch Cassidy. (Cowboy State Daily Staff)

As A Location

While plenty of Westerns are set in Wyoming, the state is largely absent from its own filmography. In his research, Latshaw was equally surprised by its prevalence and absence.

“It appears that Wyoming has been more important as a dramatic setting than an actual filming location,” he said. “There haven’t been a huge number of Westerns that were actually filmed there, which was really interesting.”

There are frequent Wyoming “cameos” in Western cinema. “The Outlaw Josey Wales,” “Dances with Wolves” and “Django Unchained” are important Westerns that include scenes shot in Wyoming, usually the iconic facade of the Tetons.

Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman star in “Unforgiven.” (Cowboy State Daily Staff)
“Unforgiven” won the Best Picture Oscar in 1993. Although not filmed in Wyoming, it was set in the Cowboy State. (Cowboy State Daily Staff)

Of AFI’s four Wyoming Westerns:

“Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” filmed its Wyoming scenes in Utah.
“Unforgiven” was primarily filmed in Alberta, Canada (a popular Wyoming stand-in)
Buckskin Joe Frontier Town, a combination film studio and theme park in Cañon City, Colorado, was the location for “Cat Ballou’s” production.

Wyoming isn’t and hasn’t ever been a go-to location for Western films or films in general.

One much-noted reason is the lack of a state film incentive. Productions often choose to film in states that provide incentives to shoot there, usually in the form of tax credits, exemptions, cash grants and fee-free locations.

The latest attempt to make Wyoming more appealing to filmmakers by offering rebates based on their Wyoming expenses died on the state House floor during the 2023 session of the Wyoming Legislature.

Latshaw believes there’s another significant reason why Wyoming isn’t a more popular film location, and it’s one Wyomingites know all too well.

“That may be simply down to climate,” he said. “Looking at the weather tables, it appears that fall, winter and spring tend to be cold. That narrows the window of when you can shoot comfortably in Wyoming. So that may be a major factor.”

But bad weather and lack of incentives haven’t stopped passionate film producers in the past. A notable example is 1953’s “Shane,” which was almost entirely filmed in Jackson and Grand Teton National Park.

“George Stevens, a powerful A-list director at the time, (wanted) the best possible locations for his film,” he said. He didn’t want the movie “to look like it was shot in Chatsworth, California, or even Lone Pine. He wanted authentic locations and certainly had the clout to say, ‘No, I want to shoot regardless of whatever hardships. I want to shoot this in Wyoming because that’s what the look is.’”

In the case of “Shane,” the authenticity of Jackson’s picturesque landscapes contributes to the film’s overall effect, often cited as one of the greatest Westerns ever made. It’s one of several Western films preserved in the U.S. Library of Congress.

A scene from the Western “Cat Ballou.” (Getty Images)
Lee Marvin played “the drunkest gun in the West” and Jane Fonda the title character in the Western comedy “Cat Ballou.” (Cowboy State Daily Staff)
A scene, which the audience is supposed to believe is in Wyoming, in “Cat Ballou.” (Cowboy State Daily Staff)

Wyoming’s Westerns

Regardless of its lack of physical screen time, Westerns set in Wyoming are amongst the best told in the genre. They range from some of the earliest forays on film to vast epics of Western melodrama to the most stinging critiques of the genre and the history it draws from.

“I think writers and filmmakers saw that it was an important setting for a great Western film,” Latshaw said. “Wyoming has so much history, and it’s very picturesque. It’s just beautiful country. A lot of films have been set in Wyoming because of its history and because it was so deeply involved in the history of the Western expansion. That’s key to its success.”

Movie posters for the four classic Westerns set in Wyoming voted among the top 10 Westerns ever made. (Cowboy State Daily Staff)

Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.

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Wyoming

Wyoming Coaches Pick the Best of 1A & 2A Boys Basketball in 2026

Published

9 hours ago

March 11, 2026

Press Room

Wyoming Coaches Pick the Best of 1A & 2A Boys Basketball in 2026

The top boys’ basketball players in Wyoming for Classes 1A and 2A were chosen for the 2026 high school season. The Wyoming Coaches Association has unveiled the all-state awards for this year, as voted on by the head coaches in the two classifications, respectively. The Wyoming Coaches Association only recognizes one team for all-state, and only these players receive an award certificate from the WCA. WyoPreps only lists all-state players as defined by the WCA.

WCA 1A-2A BOYS BASKETBALL ALL-STATE SELECTIONS IN 2026

Each class selected 14 players for all-state, reflecting a broad recognition of talent across Wyoming. Notably, congratulations go to Hulett’s Kyle Smith, Brady Cook from Lingle-Fort Laramie, and Carsten Freeburg from Pine Bluffs, who earned all-state honors for the third straight year. In addition, eight more players achieved all-state status for the second time in their prep careers.

Class 1A

Paul McNiven – Burlington

Bitner Philpott – Burlington

Ammon Hatch – Cokeville (All-State in 2025)

Hudson Himmerich – Cokeville

Kyle Smith – Hulett (All-State 2024 & 2025)

Anthony Arnusch – Lingle-Ft. Laramie

Brady Cook – Lingle-Ft. Laramie (All-State 2024 & 2025)

Tymber Cozzens – Little Snake River (All-State in 2025)

Corbin Matthews – Lusk

Max Potas – Meeteetse (All-State in 2024)

Jace Westring – Saratoga

Hazen Williams – Saratoga

TJ Moats – Southeast (All-State in 2024)

Nic Schiller – Upton

Read More Boys Basketball News from WyoPreps

WyoPreps 1A-2A State Basketball Scoreboard 2026

WyoPreps 3A-4A Regional Basketball Scoreboard 2026

WyoPreps Coaches and Media Final Basketball Poll 2026

1A-2A Boys Basketball Regional Scoreboard 2026

WyoPreps Boys Basketball Week 11 Scores 2026

WyoPreps Coaches and Media Basketball Polls 2-25-26

WyoPreps Boys Basketball Week 10 Scores 2026

WyoPreps Coaches and Media Basketball Polls 2-18-26

WyoPreps Boys Basketball Week 9 Scores 2026

WyoPreps Coaches and Media Basketball Polls 2-11-26

WyoPreps Boys Basketball Week 8 Scores 2026

WyoPreps Coaches and Media Basketball Polls 2-4-26

Class 2A

Caleb Adsit – Big Horn

Chase Garber – Big Horn

Carsten Freeburg – Pine Bluffs (All-State 2024 & 2025)

Mason Moss – Rocky Mountain

Oakley Hicks – Shoshoni

Kade Mills – Sundance

Cody Bomengen – Thermopolis (All-State in 2025)

Zak Hastie – Thermopolis

Ellis Webber – Thermopolis (All-State in 2025)

Joseph Kimbrell – Wright

Mitchell Strohschein – Wright (All-State in 2025)

Adriano Brown – Wyoming Indian

Heeyei’Niitou Monroe-Black – Wyoming Indian (All-State in 2025)

Cordell Spoonhunter – Wyoming Indian

The 2026 state champions were the Saratoga Panthers in Class 1A. They beat Lingle-Fort Laramie, 50-45, in the championship game. The 2A winners were the Thermopolis Bobcats, who repeated as champions, after a 45-38 victory over Wyoming Indian in the title game.

Lusk versus Rock River high school basketball 2026

Game action between the Tigers and Longhorns

Gallery Credit: Courtesy: Lisa Shaw

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Wyoming

New laws establish a statewide literacy program

Published

21 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

New laws establish a statewide literacy program

A pair of bills signed into law last week aim to build out a more comprehensive system of literacy education across Wyoming’s public schools.

One mandates evidence-based practices and requires regular screenings for dyslexia, while the other enables the Wyoming Department of Education (WDE) to hire a dedicated literacy professional to oversee statewide compliance.

Gov. Mark Gordon’s signing of both bills on Friday was the latest accomplishment of an ongoing push for improved literacy standards. That push has been spearheaded by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder.

“Wyoming is not going to let a single child fall through the cracks,” Degenfelder said during a public bill signing last week. “We are not going to fall behind when it comes to ensuring that our children can read at grade level.”

The primary bill, Senate File 59, establishes a statewide K-12 program for teaching students to read that is built on “evidence based language and literacy instruction, assessment, intervention and professional development that supports educators, engages families and promotes literacy proficiency for all Wyoming students.”

The bill defines evidence-based strategies as those that conform to the science of reading, a term that will be defined and updated by Degenfelder’s office. Nationwide, it generally means putting academic research into practice in classrooms. SF 59 specifically prohibits the exclusive use of “three-cueing” — a strategy once widely employed to teach reading but which education experts now say is outdated and less effective than other strategies.

It also requires annual dyslexia screeners for students below the third grade, and testing for reading difficulties for all students.

The screeners are used to identify the severity of reading difficulties in order to direct “tiered” support that offers the most intensive interventions to the students most in need, while still providing “evidence based” language instruction to all students.

Each school district must formulate an individualized reading plan “for each student identified as having reading difficulties or at risk for poor reading outcomes.”

Districts must now report to the state annually regarding their literacy-related work. Any district where 60% or more of the students are struggling will be required to implement “summer literacy camps or extended supports, including after school support and tutoring.”

The bill also requires literacy related professional development for teachers and specialists “appropriate to their role and level of responsibility” related to literacy education.

SF 59 was backed by dyslexia advocates and literacy specialists.

Senate File 14, the other literacy bill signed into law Friday, appropriates $120,000 annually for the next two years for a full-time position at WDE “to assist school districts in implementing a reading assessment and intervention program and language and literacy programs.”

Both bills go into effect July 1.

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Wyoming

Wyoming Announces 2026 Football Schedule – SweetwaterNOW

Published

1 day ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

Wyoming Announces 2026 Football Schedule

Samuel “Tote” Harris. Photo from gowyo.com

LARAMIE — The University of Wyoming and the Mountain West Conference announced the Cowboys’ 2026 football schedule Monday, a slate that opens with the Border War and concludes with back-to-back home games in Laramie.

Wyoming opens the season Sept. 5 on the road against Colorado State in the 118th edition of the Border War. The Cowboys then host Northern Colorado on Sept. 12 in the home opener before traveling to Central Michigan on Sept. 19.

The Cowboys begin Mountain West play Sept. 26 at home against Hawaii in a matchup for the Paniolo Trophy. Wyoming then faces back-to-back road games at North Dakota State on Oct. 3 and San Jose State on Oct. 10.

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Wyoming returns to War Memorial Stadium on Oct. 17 to host conference newcomer Northern Illinois before facing Air Force at home on Oct. 24. The Cowboys will have an open week on Oct. 31.

The Cowboys open November with road games at UNLV on Nov. 7 and at UTEP on Nov. 14, marking Wyoming’s first meeting with the Miners as members of the Mountain West. Wyoming closes conference play by hosting New Mexico on Nov. 21 and wraps up the regular season with a nonconference game against UConn on Nov. 28 in Laramie.

Each Mountain West team will play four home and four road conference games during the 13-week season, which will conclude with the Mountain West Football Championship Game featuring the two teams with the highest conference winning percentages. The championship game date will be announced later.

With the conference schedule set, Mountain West television partners CBS Sports, FOX Sports, and The CW will begin selecting broadcast games, which could include moving some contests to non-Saturday dates. Network assignments and kickoff times will be announced at a later date.

Season ticket renewals for the 2026 Wyoming football season are now available. Fans can renew their tickets online by visiting gowyo.com/tickets and logging into their account.

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