Something a little different today.
The abandoned ranch structures at the Last Dollar Ranch in the San Juan Mountains. While this isn’t really a ghost town, Last Dollar Ranch is located on Last Dollar Road, near Telluride. Last Dollar Ranch is still a large and active ranch, but it is also home to abandoned home that was featured in the Academy Award winning 1969 motion picture True Grit, staring John Wayne. The location was used in the opening and closing scenes of the movie and was identified as the home of Mattie Ross played by Kim Darby. It’s a significant historical location in the San Juan Mountains.
It is located on private property and access is restricted, but it is quite viewable from Last Dollar Road and offers an excellent photographic location for those visiting the San Juan Mountains. This photo was made in 2011, and the buildings were in a serious state of decay at that time. During my most recent visit in 2024, there was signs of significant reconstruction and the place is in much better shape than what I found in 2011. It’s good to see the owners rebuilding this landmark structure and it will hopefully remain a beautiful scene along this fantastic road in the San Juan’s.
I don’t know much about the history of the location beyond it being part of the Last Dollar Ranch and being featured in the movie True Grit, but it’s definitely worth visiting if you are in that part of the state.
