Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota And South Dakota are familiar to many of us, even if we have never been there. That’s because they all have been the setting for so many books, films and TV series … as well as home to so many legendary Western characters.
We may even feel that we have fly-fished with Brad Pitt, horse whispered with Robert Redford, rafted the rapids with Meryl Streep and joined Kevin Costner in his Dances with Wolves.
Most of the film stars, writers and colourful characters may have departed upwards or onwards, but this scenically-spectacular region remains full of reminders of the Old West heritage that inspired them. Cowboys and Native Americans; colourful former boom towns and endless, silent prairies; cloud-piercing mountain peaks, dusty ranches, awesome national parks, visionaries and eccentrics – they’re all still there in this ‘Great American West’ region 1,200 miles from the Pacific and 2,000 miles from the Atlantic.
Here are just some of the places you can visit where today’s reality matches yesterday’s films and fiction.
MONTANA
From the Swinging Bridge over Montana’s Kootenai River you can view sites featured in the films The Revenant and The River Wild
Libby – The Revenant (2015) and The River Wild (1994)
Seen from the Swinging Bridge suspended over the Kootenai River near Libby, the Kootenai Falls are impressive – frothing white water, treacherous rock ledges and thundering noise. This was where Leonardo DeCaprio nearly met his death in last year’s Oscar-winning film, The Revenant. Based upon a book by Michael Punke, the film was inspired by the real-life story of early-19th-century trapper Hugh Glass, who was savaged by a bear, left for dead, then swept down the raging Kootenai and over the falls, but lived to seek revenge on his adversaries. This river also provided the backdrop for Meryl Streep’s tempestuous white-water ride in The River Wild. You can view the torrent and then paddle down a calmer section of the river by renting a raft from Kootenai River Outfitters. Libby itself is a classic Western community, with quilt shows, bluegrass concerts and a logging festival. If you decide to stay, book into the Evergreen Motel, where the film crews stayed.Near Missoula, Livingston and Bozeman – A River Runs Through It (1992)
When it comes to tourism-boosting films, few can match A River Runs Through It. In this story of a family of fly-fishermen, Brad Pitt may have been the star, but the movie’s Oscar was for Best Cinematography. And no wonder – the stunning landscapes, and particularly the fishing scenes, produced that “I want to go there” feeling – not just in anglers, but in those who had yet to cast a fly. The film was shot on the Yellowstone and Gallatin rivers near Livingston and Bozeman respectively, while the original book, Norman Maclean’s A River Runs Through It and Other Stories, describes the Blackfoot River, near Missoula. But there are more great trout streams – which is why Montana is a world-class fly-fishing destination. The best time to catch brown, rainbow and cut-throat trout is from July to October. (Note – the Yellowstone River was closed for fishing when we went to press because of a fish kill caused by a parasite.)Great Falls – Charles Russell, painter and sculptor (1864-1926)
Hunting for buffalo and roping cattle, smoke signals and tepees – these are quintessential images of the Wild West. And much of that is down to the true-to-life paintings and sculptures of Charles Russell whose museum, home and studio you can visit in his hometown, Great Falls. Among the 1,000 works that have fired the imagination of novelists and film-makers for a century is The Exalted Ruler, a huge painting of a majestic elk, with a massive rack of horns. Also there are some of the Indian artefacts and cowboy gear that were models for his works. Find more art by Russell in Helena’s Montana Historical Society as well as in the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming, DID YOU KNOW … That you can get married in Springhill Pavilion, where Robert Redford and Kristin Scott Thomas danced in a memorable scene in The Horse Whisperer (1998)? Set in the mountains near Bozeman, the century-old pavilion, with its glorious sunset views, is just one of the many sites that make Montana popular for destination weddings.NORTH DAKOTA
Fargo is also graced by 39 gigantic statues of bison. This one is known for obvious reasons as Gogh-Vincent-Go
Fargo, the city; Fargo, the film (1996) and only-in-America art works
If ever a film put a town – and three TV series – on the map it was the Coen Brothers’ dark and funny tale of a kidnapping gone wrong. The film won two Academy Awards, including Best Actress for Frances McDormand. And it still draws fans to this city, where the Fargo-Moorhead Visitors Center has a one-of-a-kind souvenir – the original wood chipper from the gruesome lakeside ‘disposing of the body’ scene. See the real prop, autographed by the Coens, and then pose by the reproduction. To make it look totally authentic, Fargo-style winter hats with ear flaps are provided – as are fake legs. Of course, as movie buffs know, not one scene was actually shot in Fargo itself! While in Fargo, admire the massive fibreglass bison statue known as Gogh-Bison-Go as it is painted to look like Van Gogh while also referencing the nickname of the North Dakota State University football team. It is one of 39 bison statues dotted around town, each with its own personality. Nights in the Valley inspires not a few Saturday Night ride ’em cowboy moments; hardly surprising – it’s sited outside Dempsey’s Irish pub at 226 Broadway.Jamestown – Hometown of famous writer Louis L’Amour (1908-1988)
Author of 100 books that sold 200 million copies worldwide, Louis L’Amour transported readers into the Wild West via meticulously-researched tales of frontier and family lore, including stories of his great-grandfather’s scalping by Sioux warriors. Many L’Amour books were made into films and TV series, most famously How the West was Won. Learn more about the man in Jamestown, where he grew up. Its Frontier Village, a collection of historic buildings from around the state, includes the Writer’s Shack dedicated to L’Amour. It has videos and memorabilia about the author, who had worked as everything from a lumberjack to a professional boxer. DID YOU KNOW … That you can eat in a restaurant owned by hunky film actor Josh Duhamel, best known for playing William Lennox in Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster series of sci-fi Transformers films? Located in the small city of Minot, the restaurant 10 North Main serves up such treats as North Dakota-raised pheasant in a spicy sauce, buffalo steaks and BBQ pork ribs smoked in-house.SOUTH DAKOTA
Some of the props from Dances with Wolves are located in the Original 1880 Town west of Murdo, South Dakota
Spearfish, Murdo, Rapid City, Deadwood – Dances with Wolves (1990)
One of the most beautiful spots in the USA is 20-mile-long Spearfish Canyon, the location for the last scenes of Dances with Wolves. Think soaring limestone cliffs, sparkling waterfalls, gin-clear trout streams and great hiking trails. But the film, which won seven Oscars, also featured prairies, herds of bison and the Lakota Sioux culture. You can see some of the props – such as Kevin Costner’s wagon in South Dakota’s Original 1880 Town – on state-spanning Interstate 90, 22 miles west of Murdo. But that is not all. The film set is at Fort Hays, five miles from Rapid City. A popular photo op is in front of the Headquarters building, where you can stand on the spot on which star Kevin Costner (John J Dunbar) was given his orders from the mad general. Then, have a thigh-slappin’ good time at a Chuckwagon Supper & Cowboy Music Show. Costner is also the owner of The Midnight Star, a colourful Victorian-style saloon in Wild West-era Deadwood. Eat, drink, play cards, hear tales of such Deadwood legends as Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane and peer at photos and memorabilia from Costner’s glittering career.Custer State Park – How the West Was Won (1962)
From director John Ford to actors John Wayne, James Stewart, Debbie Reynolds, Henry Fonda, Spencer Tracy and Gregory Peck, the epic How the West Was Won had it all. One of the few feature films shot using the Cinerama process, it made audiences feel as if they were in the middle of the action, including scenes that featured America’s largest buffalo herds. To see the real thing, stay in the historic Custer State Game Lodge, 30 miles south-west of Rapid City. Outside, Custer State Park’s herd of 1,300 huge, shaggy beasts roams freely.Mount Rushmore – North by Northwest (1959)
Who can forget Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint clambering down the giant presidential profiles of Mount Rushmore, let alone Grant clutching the hand of Saint as she dangles beside the massive face of George Washington? There is just one problem – those tense scenes were filmed in a Hollywood studio. But the drama helped to put Mount Rushmore in the limelight and this year, the 75th anniversary of the monument and the 100th of the US National Park Service, is an ideal time to visit.Around Pine Ridge – Neither Wolf Nor Dog (2017)
Well-received at the 2016 Edinburgh International Film Festival and directed by British film-maker Steven Lewis Simpson, this film is based on the book Neither Wolf Nor Dog: On Forgotten Trails with an Indian Elder by Kent Nerburn. It stars Miniconjou tribal Chief Dave Bald Eagle who died, aged 97, in South Dakota last summer. The Chief’s grandfather fought at the Battle of Little Big Horn (Custer’s Last Stand) and he worked in Hollywood and advised Kevin Costner on Dances with Wolves. DID YOU KNOW … That in Rapid City, you are being watched by American presidents? The self-proclaimed ‘City of Presidents’ has life-sized bronze sculptures of the past 43 American leaders. Find them on street corners – JFK at Main and 8th; a cowboy-hatted Ronald Reagan at St Joseph and 6th. Calvin Coolidge may be one of the lesser-known White House incumbents, but his likeness, next to a handsome saddle and tipping his hat to all, is popular for selfies. Find him at Main and 5th.WYOMING
An alien UFO landed on the top of Wyoming’s Devils Tower in Close Encounters of the Third Kind
