Cole Hauser’s connection to Montana runs deeper than the “Yellowstone” franchise.
Hauser told Fox News Digital that while Taylor Sheridan’s hit franchise introduced millions of viewers to Montana, his family’s ties to the Treasure State stretch back nearly 140 years.
“Montana, my family has been there since 1886. So the Hauser legacy there is huge,” Hauser said. “I mean, Samuel T. Hauser was the seventh governor of Montana, helped start that state. So going back there felt like a homecoming for me.”
Samuel T. Hauser served as the seventh governor of the Montana Territory and was a businessman whose investments in banking, mining and railroads helped shape the territory’s early development. For Hauser, stepping into the character meant filming in a place that had already been woven into his family’s history long before television cameras arrived.
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Now, as the Western franchise expands into Texas with “Dutton Ranch,” experts say the show’s tourism boom may be expanding with it.
“Traveling to the sets of popular TV shows, movies, and even books has increased substantially over the past few years,” Adam Duckworth, president and founder of Travelmation, told Fox News Digital. “We have even given this travel trend a name: set-jetting. This is when fans ‘jet’ to the sets of their favorite shows.”
According to Duckworth, few modern television shows have influenced American travel quite like “Yellowstone.”
“‘Yellowstone’ was one of the first shows to spark this trend,” he said. “Fans would watch the Dutton family in those breathtaking landscapes and want to see them in person with their own eyes. Yellowstone National Park and the surrounding areas saw a boom in tourism as the show increased in popularity and next we expect that to happen in Texas thanks to the spin-off ‘Dutton Ranch.'”
Sheridan’s original series premiered in 2018 and steadily evolved from a cable drama into one of television’s biggest franchises. Along the way, Montana itself became more than a backdrop. Endless mountain ranges, sprawling ranches and wide-open skies became as recognizable to viewers as the Dutton family itself.
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Hauser believes the landscape played an enormous role in the show’s success.
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“You know, 10 years ago when we started this, it was a really kind of a grassroot show in Montana and then, you know, we grew out to the edges, Los Angeles, now New York, and now the world,” Hauser told Fox News Digital.
The actor said he’s witnessed the show’s global reach firsthand while traveling overseas.
“We were just in Europe, and it’s amazing to watch, you know, the Germans dress up as cowboys, the English,” Hauser said. “I’ve been to Australia and New Zealand. I mean just how many people have been touched by it.”
When asked why “Yellowstone” resonated with audiences around the world, Hauser credited Sheridan’s storytelling and Montana itself.
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“I honestly don’t know other than it’s the tremendous writing and storytelling of Taylor Sheridan,” Hauser said. “He created unbelievable characters and, you know, Montana is a character in its own and I think people forget how beautiful the Old West is.”
That emotional attachment to place is exactly what travel advisers are seeing translate into vacation bookings.
Duckworth said fans aren’t simply looking for scenic overlooks or filming locations. They want to immerse themselves in the same lifestyle they see on screen.
“Any TV show or movie that takes place in a gorgeous setting can ignite a set-jetting trend,” he explained. “Fans want to feel like they are their favorite characters by visiting the exact places they are seeing on their screens.”
“The more remote or luxurious the stay, the more it truly becomes a bucket-list destination,” Duckworth continued. “Yes, you can do a place like Yellowstone on a budget but you can also go ultra-lux and stay at an upscale ranch where you are wined and dined and feel like you are a member of the Dutton family.”
As Sheridan shifts the franchise south, Hauser said filming in Texas brought an entirely different experience.
“God, this next iteration, I mean, it has such new challenges,” he said. “Obviously the landscape of Texas, the heat that was totally different, the new environment, the new characters that come in, the story.”
Even with the new setting, Hauser said he and co-star Kelly Reilly wanted to preserve what fans love most about Rip and Beth.
“What stayed consistent is Beth and Rip,” Hauser said. “Kelly and I were very cognizant of making sure that those two characters continue to be the same polarizing, strong, loyal characters that they’ve always been.”
Duckworth believes Texas now stands to benefit from the same television-driven tourism Montana experienced during the height of “Yellowstone.”
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“‘Dutton Ranch’ was mainly filmed around Northern Texas,” he said. “One of the popular shooting spots was Ferris, Texas, which is about 20 miles outside Dallas. Ferris is known to be growing in popularity and I have no doubt it will quickly expand with all the extra attention on the small town.”
He also pointed to Saunders Ranch in Weatherford, Texas, as another destination likely to draw devoted fans.
“Another place for ‘Dutton Ranch’ fans is Saunders Ranch in Weatherford, Texas,” Duckworth said. “This is a real-life working ranch with a history that dates all the way back to the 1800s. Saunders Ranch is the setting for the show’s Edwards Ranch, also known as Rip and Beth’s property.”
Travelmation travel adviser Kris Porter said she’s already seeing demand shift from the Rocky Mountains toward Texas as audiences look to re-create the world Sheridan built.
“Before the Yellowstone craze, I’d gotten exactly one request for a ‘dude ranch’ vacation,” Porter told Fox News Digital. “Now they come from the most unlikely places.”
“Families who would typically pick a cruise or an all-inclusive beach resort are instead heading out West to fulfill their dreams of life on a ranch.”
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Porter said today’s travelers aren’t looking for a rustic getaway. Instead, they’re seeking luxury experiences that mirror the lifestyle portrayed in Sheridan’s television universe.
“These clients do not want to do this on a budget,” she explained. “They are seeking an elevated, bucket list ranch experience like they are seeing on TV.”
“They are willing to pay an all-inclusive price that includes Michelin-quality food, while also learning how to ride horses and herd cattle.”
For many travelers, she said, the appeal is balancing rugged adventure with upscale comfort.
“At the end of the day they want to retreat to their comfortable cabin with a nice glass of wine while staring at the stars — a pristine view that their normal, every day life does not allow.”
The shift toward Texas is already becoming noticeable.
“Over the past few years we’ve seen an increase in bookings for these experiences in Wyoming and Montana, but with ‘Dutton Ranch,’ clients are now also moving south to Texas,” Porter said.
She added that Texas offers one advantage Montana can’t always promise.
“One strong appeal of Texas, besides the show, is the weather, which gives you much more opportunities year-round,” Porter said. “Lavish spas and all-inclusive stays can be found in the Lone Star State too, so my clients are traveling to Texas for those higher-end trips with much warmer weather than Wyoming, especially in the spring months.”
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