Remember When These Colorado Locations Appeared in True Grit? (2024)

Movie buffs, especially fans of old western films, may recognize some familiar-looking places that appeared in the original version ofTrue Grit.That's because severallocations in Colorado served as backdrops during agood chunk of scenes in the 1969 flickthat starred John Wayne.

The Ouray County Courthousewas used at one point in the movie and is still intact today. The wooden staircase and exit of the buildingare featured in the scene where Mattie is chasingRooster. Tourists often stopinside the former filming site on 4th Street to check out the courthouse in person.

Another Ridgeway location used in the film was Hartwell Park. The tree that appeared in the triple hanging scene is still standing in the grassy area. The paddy wagon propthat was used to transport prisoners inthe filmis displayed in Heritage Park on the southwest corner of Highway 550 and 62.

The ferry scenes in True Grit were filmed at Colorado's stunning Blue Mesa Reservoir. The reservoir can be found between Montrose and Gunnison and fans would probably recognize the rocky cliffs. People hiking inthe Sneffels Range of the nearby San Juan Mountains might recognize the scenery where other parts of the film were shot, as well asamong the aspen trees of the surrounding forest.

Coloradans may also remember seeingChimney Peak, where John Wayne and the other outlaws filmedother action-packed parts of the movie. This mountainous location can bewitnessedduring the film's opening scene and again at six minutes andtwenty-twoseconds into thewestern film.

The final shootout took place in Deb's Meadow, which is another area that can still be accessed today. Locals and vacationers canwalk across the scenic Colorado field,and imagine the cowboys atop their horses charging through the same spot, guns blazing. Even an old hitching post used in the movie still remains all these years later.

Several other Colorado buildings and locations around Ouray and Ridgway that showed up in the movie, such as the town's funeral parlor, still exist today. They can be seen in the video below.