Ranch de John Wayne | Established Campground

Mexico

Details

Verified:
about 1 year ago
Altitude:
1920.0 masl
Website:
Phone:
None
Contributor:
Daniel Lignon

Amenities

Electricity:
No
Wifi:
No
Kitchen:
No
Restaurant:
No
Showers:
No
Water:
No
Toilets:
Pit Toilets
Big Rig Friendly:
Yes
Tent Friendly:
Yes
Pet Friendly:
Yes
Sanitation Dump Station:
No

Something not right?

Description

A truly remarkable place. You take a dirt track from the main road through a small town and out to the ranch, quick easy (a little bumpy) drive. The gate might be closed but you can just open it and drive in. Armando the owner lives in the old train station and is a wonderful host. We camped two nights, once by the film set and once out in the canyons where they have just built tables and a pit toilet. Spectacular scenery and bound to be even more so during July-October when the rains fill the streams and waterfalls. They are also looking for volunteers to help in the restoration and development of the site and I am sure would trade work for camping/horse rides. Happily paid 150 a night.

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Latest Check-Ins

We were not allowed to enter and stay for the night. They said the movie crew asked not to let anyone in.
It might be just today, but better have some backup plan when coming there.

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A film crew is building a new saloon and restoring an old building to use it as a bank in a new western movie. No picture taking before everybody has left the set (18.30h) until December 2022. Ask Armando to guide you through.

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This place is fantastic. I worked in the film industry for 14 years. Brought back lots of memories. Deserted cowboy town set. Camping in our van with nobody around. Hike up canyon towards falls and excellent private natural swimming pools. Just imagine John Wayne and his Hollywood friends skinny dipping here. So awesome.

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We really liked this stop! Armando was great, and the old western town was cool. We stayed overnight in the canyon by the newest set, a guru hut 🛖. To get here, need 4x4, but you can still camp before this spot with a regular vehicle. True boondocking.

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Wasn't that impressed by the leftovers from the movie set, but the camp site near the canyon was nice. They charged 100 pesos per person per night.

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Amazing nature around. Horses of the meadow, waterfall near by, quite and safe.

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Great place for the night. A gravel road cross La Joya and leads to the ranch. The owner is very nice. He showed us a place near the mountains to overnight. No amentities and only reachable with 4x4 and high clearance 50 pesos per person per night. A stunning place.

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Great spot to camp for the night. Beautiful canyon and scenery, shade from the trees.
Didn’t meet the owner, a young girl checked us in by the old train/two storey building, charged us $50pesos each for one night. Good deal. Nice to wander around the old set the next morning

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Owner Armando is extremely gracious & friendly and speaks decent English as well! I rated his property 5-stars due to his accommodating spirit & that the ranch is very relaxing and quiet. Bird and cattle noises during the day, & coyotes yipping at night...my kind of place, and I’ll certainly be back!

Wild Camping only...no hookups or fancy amenities...just nature at its finest.

I camped near the movie set, but if you get here during the day (I didn’t) Armando will lead you back towards the back of the property through three different cattle gates to the far more lush and pretty area near the foothills of the rugged mountains to the West. There you’ll find several campsite options and a pit toilet / outhouse.

The movie set is a really cool bonus. As others have mentioned, it’s slowly disintegrating into dust as all things do...especially structures which were built not to withstand the forces of nature, but as a temporary prop for movies long forgotten by most. Take photos and create memories while the props are still standing. :-). If you’re a movie buff and/or a John Wayne fan, this place is a treasure.

Happy Trails to you!

-(please pass along our hellos from Kevin de Phoenix!)

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The turn is hidden along the West side of MX-45 and difficult to see behind the guard rail of the sweeping turn.

Here’s my review for the Ranch itself:

“Owner Armando is extremely gracious & friendly and speaks decent English as well! I rated his property 5-stars due to his accommodating spirit & that the ranch is very relaxing and quiet. Bird and cattle noises during the day, & coyotes yipping at night...my kind of place, and I’ll certainly be back!

Wild Camping only...no hookups or fancy amenities...just nature at its finest.

I camped near the movie set, but if you get here during the day (I didn’t) Armando will lead you back towards the back of the property through three different cattle gates to the far more lush and pretty area near the foothills of the rugged mountains to the West. There you’ll find several campsite options and a pit toilet / outhouse.

The movie set is a really cool bonus. As others have mentioned, it’s slowly disintegrating into dust as all things do...especially structures which were built not to withstand the forces of nature, but as a temporary prop for movies long forgotten by most. Take photos and create memories while the props are still standing. :-). If you’re a movie buff and/or a John Wayne fan, this place is a treasure.

Happy Trails to you!

(Please pass along our hellos from Kevin de Phoenix)

Translated by Google:
“La curva está oculta a lo largo del lado oeste de MX-45 y es difícil de ver detrás de la barandilla de la curva amplia.

Aquí está mi reseña del rancho en sí:

“El propietario Armando es extremadamente cortés y amable y también habla un inglés decente. Califiqué su propiedad con 5 estrellas debido a su espíritu complaciente y que el rancho es muy relajante y tranquilo. Ruidos de pájaros y ganado durante el día, y coyotes aullando por la noche ... mi tipo de lugar, ¡y sin duda volveré!

Solo camping salvaje ... sin conexiones ni comodidades elegantes ... solo naturaleza en su máxima expresión.

Acampé cerca del set de filmación, pero si llegas aquí durante el día (yo no lo hice), Armando te llevará de regreso a la parte trasera de la propiedad a través de tres puertas de ganado diferentes a la zona mucho más exuberante y bonita cerca de las estribaciones de la montañas escarpadas al oeste. Allí encontrará varias opciones de camping y un retrete / letrina.

El set de la película es una ventaja realmente genial. Como han mencionado otros, se está desintegrando lentamente en polvo como todas las cosas ... especialmente las estructuras que fueron construidas no para resistir las fuerzas de la naturaleza, sino como un accesorio temporal para películas olvidadas por la mayoría. Toma fotos y crea recuerdos mientras los accesorios aún están en pie. :-). Si eres un cinéfilo o un fan de John Wayne, este lugar es un tesoro.

¡Felices senderos para ti!

(Por favor transmita nuestros saludos de Kevin de Phoenix)”

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As the primary post stated, this place is fantastic! We stayed two nights/days in the canyon camp area and hiked around the canyons. At the time the water flow was low so the Cascada was not impressive but the canyons and geology was. There is plenty of interesting things to look at if you are a historian or geologist. There was a bit of trash left by previous visitors but we did our part to collect a bag full. Armando was very pleasant. At some point we will return to this place. Oh yes, there is remnants of a movie set if you like that sort of thing. It was very quiet and calm.

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Nice, simple location have a choice to camp by the mountains and river close to the falls or by the broken down set. Armando (the grandson of the armando that helped out JW) is friendly. Charge me 150 for one person. Its quiet by the mountains options for hiking biking or horseback.

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we cannot confirm the earlier entrys. The campsite at the
canyon entrance is beautiful but there are no picnictables and just one shaggy bench, pit toilet and fireplace useable. Price is 50p/person/night (Children 20p) BUT you pay another 50p/adult entrance fee for his "Junkyard" called "Rancho la Joya". He might be looking for volunteers, but he certainly will not be cleaning up himself. Even on mexican standard a very dirty place and not worth a visit.

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A truly remarkable place. You take a dirt track from the main road through a small town and out to the ranch, quick easy (a little bumpy) drive. The gate might be closed but you can just open it and drive in. Armando the owner lives in the old train station and is a wonderful host. We camped two nights, once by the film set and once out in the canyons where they have just built tables and a pit toilet. Spectacular scenery and bound to be even more so during July-October when the rains fill the streams and waterfalls. They are also looking for volunteers to help in the restoration and development of the site and I am sure would trade work for camping/horse rides. Happily paid 150 a night.

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Personne n’as pris soin de cette place pour un bon bout. Délabré plein de bouzes de vaches qui sont lousses autour des bâtiments. Y a rien à voir la! Et c’est un insulte au nom de John Wayne qui était une super star du cinéma. Non recommandé.

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awesome place with very nice people. There are 3 canyons to explore, 1 waterfall, beautifull places to walk around and a cinema set to explore. deffenetly worth the visit if your looking to realx and enjoy the desert. you can also ride horses!
the family is very friendly.
prices are: 50 pesos per night/adult
20 pesos night/kid
free Under 6

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Lovely place where you can sleep where you want in the ranch ( in the wild or just in front of the old cowboy town)
The area is wonderful with rio canyon horses and Armando is a really lovely guy
Our kids ride horses for one hour in the ranch and we gave him 300 pesos for that ( it was our price)
200 pesos per night

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Vous camperez devant un village western. En outre, vous pourrez découvrir sur plus de 1000 hectares, ses trois canyons, un rio, une cascade, à pied, à cheval, en vélo! Armando demande aux voyageurs de passage une contribution raisonnable.
Visité par Severine Baur.

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