‘Dutton Ranch’ star Cole Hauser says his family’s ties to Montana go back nearly 140 years
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Cole Hauser’s connection to Montana runs deeper than the “Yellowstone” franchise.
Hauser told Fox News Digital that while Taylor Sheridan’s song introduced millions of viewers to Montana, his family’s ties to the Treasure State go back nearly 140 years.
“Montana, my family has been here since 1886. So the Hauser legacy there is huge,” Hauser said. “I mean, Samuel T. Hauser was the seventh governor of Montana, he helped start that situation. So going back there felt like coming home to me.”
Samuel T. Hauser served as the seventh governor of the Montana Territory and was a businessman whose investments in banks, mines and railroads helped develop the area quickly. For Hauser, stepping into the role meant being filmed in an area already woven into his family’s history long before the advent of television cameras.
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Now, as the Western franchise expands into Texas with “Dutton Ranch,” experts say the show’s tourism development may grow as well.
“Traveling to the sets of popular TV shows, movies, and even books has grown exponentially over the past few years,” Adam Duckworth, president and founder of Travelmation, told Fox News Digital. “We even gave this tourism platform a name: set-jetting. This is when fans ‘turn’ to the sets of their favorite shows.”
According to Duckworth, few modern television shows have had as much impact on American travel as “Yellowstone.”
“‘Yellowstone’ was one of the first shows that sparked this trend,” he said. “Fans were going to watch the Dutton family in those amazing places and want to see them with their own eyes. Yellowstone National Park and the surrounding areas have seen an increase in tourism as the show has grown 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 gradually evolved from a cable drama to one of television’s biggest franchises. Along the way, Montana itself became more than a background. Endless mountains, green pastures and wide open skies were as visible to the audience as the Dutton family itself.
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Hauser believes the landscape played a big role in the show’s success.
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“You know, 10 years ago when we started this, it was a grassroots game in Montana and then, you know, we grew up on the outskirts, Los Angeles, now New York, now the world,” Hauser told Fox News Digital.
The actor said he witnessed the game reaching the whole world when he went overseas.
“We were just in Europe, and it’s amazing to see, you know, Germans dressed as cowboys, Englishmen,” Hauser said. “I’ve been to Australia and New Zealand. I mean how many people have been affected by it.”
When asked why “Yellowstone” resonated with audiences around the world, Hauser credited Sheridan’s story telling and Montana’s own.
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Cole Hauser appears as Rip Wheeler on horseback at the Dutton Ranch. (Emerson Miller/Paramount+)
“I honestly don’t know anything other than Taylor Sheridan’s writing and storytelling,” Hauser said. “He creates incredible characters and, you know, Montana is a character by himself and I think people forget how beautiful the Old West is.”
That emotional attachment to a place is exactly what travel consultants see translating into vacation bookings.
Duckworth said fans aren’t just looking for overlooked spots 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 good location can fuel the set-jetting trend,” he explained. “Fans want to feel like they’re their favorite characters by visiting the exact places they see on their screens.”
“The longer the stay or the more comfortable it is, the more it 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 a high-end farm where you’re wined and dined and feel like you’re a member of the Dutton family.”
As Sheridan shifts the franchise south, Hauser said filming in Texas offers a completely different experience.
“God, this next iteration, I mean, there are new challenges,” he said. “Obviously the Texas setting, the heat was completely different, the new environment, the new characters coming in, the story.”
Even with the new setting, Hauser said he and co-star Kelly Reilly want to preserve what fans love most about Rip and Beth.
Kelly Reilly plays Beth Dutton and Cole Hauser plays Rip Wheeler in episode 8 of season 1 of “Dutton Ranch,” airing on Paramount+ in 2026. (Emerson Miller/Paramount+)
“The constants are Beth and Rip,” Hauser said. “Kelly and I were very careful to make sure that those two characters continue to be the divisive, strong, loyal characters that they’ve always been.”
Duckworth believes that Texas will now benefit from the same television-driven tourism that Montana received during the heyday of “Yellowstone.”
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“‘Dutton Ranch’ was filmed mostly in North Texas,” he said. “One of the popular shooting locations was Ferris, Texas, about 20 miles outside of Dallas. Ferris has been known to grow in popularity and I have no doubt that it will grow rapidly with all the extra attention the small town gets.”
He also pointed to the Saunders Ranch in Weatherford, Texas, as another place likely to attract 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 dating back to the 1800s. Saunders Ranch is a showcase for Edward Ranch, also known as Rip and Beth’s property.”
Travelmation consultant Kris Porter said he’s already seeing a shift in demand from the Rocky Mountains to Texas as audiences look to recreate the world Sheridan created.
“Before the Yellowstone craze, I had gotten one request to go on a ‘dude ranch’ vacation,” Porter told Fox News Digital. “Now they are coming from unexpected places.”
“Families who would normally opt for a cruise or an all-inclusive beach resort are instead heading West to fulfill their dreams of ranch life.”
Cole Hauser portrays Rip Wheeler and Kelly Reilly plays Beth Dutton in the first episode of the first season of “Dutton Ranch,” which airs on Paramount+ in 2026. (Emerson Miller/Paramount+)
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Porter said today’s travelers don’t want to run away. Instead, they want a comfortable experience that matches the lifestyle portrayed on Sheridan’s television show.
“These customers don’t want to do this on a budget,” he explained. “They want a high-end, bucket-list farm experience like they see on TV.”
“They are willing to pay the full price which includes Michelin quality food, while also learning to ride horses and herd cattle.”
For many travelers, he said, the appeal equates rugged travel with high-end comfort.
“At the end of the day they want to go back to their comfortable cabin with a nice glass of wine while gazing at the stars – a pure vision that their normal, everyday life doesn’t allow.”
The transition to Texas is already evident.
Cole Hauser and Kelly Reilly reprise their roles as Rip and Beth Dutton in “Dutton Ranch.” (Emerson Miller/Paramount+)
“Over the past few years we’ve seen an increase in bookings for these experiences in Wyoming and Montana, but with ‘Dutton Ranch,’ customers are now also going south to Texas,” Porter said.
He added that Texas offers one advantage that Montana can’t always offer.
“The biggest appeal of Texas, outside of the show, is the weather, which gives you a lot of opportunities year-round,” Porter said. “Luxury resorts and all-inclusive accommodations can be found in the Lone Star State as well, so my clients travel to Texas for those high-end trips that have warmer weather than Wyoming, especially in the spring months.”
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