Where was Longmire filmed?
2012
City Locations
Las Vegas, Santa Fe, and other locations in New Mexico
Location Types
American, NatureScapes, Ranch, Police/Jails
Location Styles
Desert, Federal Building, Ranch Style
About Longmire
If you commit a crime in Wyoming’s fictional Absaroka County, there’s one man ready to make you pay: Sheriff Walt Longmire. Played by Australian actor Robert Taylor, Longmire is recently widowed and desperately fighting to get his life back on track.
He decides to do that the only way he knows how: by throwing himself into his job. And Longmire is very good at his job. His laconic nature and dry wit mask the fact that he’s dedicated to fighting crime and has a strong sense of what’s right and wrong. Walt also knows how to stay cool in a crisis and roams the county dishing out old-school justice.
He’s very ably assisted by his deputy Vic (Katee Sackhoff), with whom he shares an especially close relationship, along with his daughter Cady (Cassidy Freeman) and old friend Henry Standing Bear (Lou Diamond Phillips). Longmire must do battle with dodgy businessmen, small-time crooks, thieves, and even murderers, and also track down whoever is responsible for killing his wife.
Part Western, part police procedural, Longmire mixes the day-to-day work of law enforcement with family and personal dramas along the way. There were six seasons of Longmire in total, with the first three airing on A&E and the remaining three on Netflix. The final season was released in November 2017, but Longmire is still widely acclaimed by critics and fans to this day.
So if you love all things Longmire, we’ve put together this list of easy-to-find filming locations. You’ll find the details below of where some of the best scenes in Longmire were filmed (spoiler alert!), so grab your badge and your gun and let’s get started.
Longmire Locations
It may be set in Wyoming, but Longmire was in fact largely filmed in New Mexico. Known for its rugged beauty and unspoiled terrain, New Mexico was an easy choice to allow the producers to capture a real “wild west” feel throughout the show.
However, the two cities that feature most prominently as Longmire filming locations are Las Vegas and Santa Fe, both of which are found in the north of New Mexico roughly a one-hour drive apart. Wander around Las Vegas and you’ll find the sheriff’s department, the beautiful Plaza Hotel, and a host of other recognizable backdrops. In Santa Fe, meanwhile, you’ll find sites like the district courthouse and the place where Walt’s wife was killed.
As for the most iconic location of all — Walt Longmire’s cabin — that’s actually found in Valles Caldera National Preserve, which sits to the west of Santa Fe.
Happily, with all these locations in relatively close proximity to one another, it’s quite easy and convenient to bundle them together into a Longmire locations road trip!
Fun Fact:
Longmire is based on a series of mystery novels written by Craig Johnson.
Longmire’s wife is murdered scene in Longmire
Santa Fe
In the first few seasons of Longmire, one of the show’s key ongoing story threads is Walt’s investigation into the death of his wife, Martha. Though she was battling cancer at the time, Martha was murdered by a meth addict named Miller Beck.
The crime was made to look like a robbery gone wrong, but when Beck later turns up dead, and given Martha’s ongoing fight to stop Jacob Nighthorse’s new casino going ahead, Walt suspects something more sinister is at play. Martha’s death has a huge impact on Walt’s outlook on life, his desire for justice, and the plot of Longmire, and she remains an ongoing presence throughout the first few seasons.
Martha’s murder in the show took place in a Denver alleyway. In real life, you’ll find this Longmire filming location in the heart of Santa Fe. It’s a much nicer location in person than it was made to look for the show, and with plenty of restaurants and Santa Fe attractions within walking distance, it’s well worth a visit.
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Cowboy Bill robs a bank scene in Longmire
Southwest Capital Bank
In season six, one of Longmire’s cases involves a notorious bank robber named Cowboy Bill who is terrorizing the county. Walt is determined to bring the man to justice, and when he discovers that someone has been swiping license plates from cars at the Pine Mountain Rehab Center, he realizes he knows exactly who Cowboy Bill is.
The bank robber is actually Bob Barnes (John Bishop), whose son also happens to be receiving treatment at the rehab center. So when the call comes over the radio that Cowboy Bill is cornered in a bank in a room full of hostages, Longmire races to the scene to defuse the situation.
Right from the outset, he’s calm and in control. “I know it's you under that fake beard, but the Bob I know, no matter how hard up or desperate he was, he'd never scare anybody … or hurt 'em.” It’s a tense scene as Bob contemplates turning the gun on himself, but he eventually surrenders and apologizes.
The bank used for this scene is actually the Southwest Capital Bank on Douglas Avenue in Las Vegas, New Mexico. It’s just off 7th Street right near the city center, so it’s definitely one to include on your Longmire filming locations itinerary.
Showdown between Longmire and Barlow scene in Longmire
Valles Caldera National Preserve
Of all the villains we meet across the six seasons of Longmire, few are as despicable as Barlow (Gerald McRaney). But in season four episode three “High Noon”, Barlow meets his maker.
Now that Walt has realized Barlow murdered his own son, the sheriff isn’t going to believe any of the other man’s lies. And in a stunning and brilliantly acted confrontation at Walt’s cabin, Barlow admits to ordering Martha’s murder. “I had worked too hard and too long to let you and that wife of yours stand in my way”, he spits.
“So, when you couldn't get at me … you went after the thing I loved”, a stunned Longmire realizes, and a violent struggle ensues that ultimately leads to Barlow’s bloody demise.
Walt’s cabin is a constant presence throughout Longmire, appearing in plenty of iconic scenes. Best of all, you can check the cabin out for yourself — it’s known as the Ranch Foreman’s cabin and is found in Valles Caldera National Preserve, roughly 50 miles northwest of Santa Fe. This gorgeous cabin appears almost exactly the same as it does on-screen, while the vistas of the surrounding countryside alone make the trip to this iconic Longmire location well worth it.
Chance escapes from the courthouse scene in Longmire
S. Federal Plaza in Santa Fe
In season six episode three, as Walt prepares to stand trial for the wrongful death of Barlow, he’s surprised to find Vic arriving at the courthouse. Little does he know that she’s not there for him, but for the D.A. to bring murder charges against Chance Gilbert (Peter Stormare), who had previously bashed Vic. “Sometimes it’s hard to tell you things”, Vic admits to Longmire nervously.
But she’s in for a surprise of her own when Chance overpowers a guard, dons a gas mask, and escapes. Vic and Walt set off in hot pursuit out of the courthouse, but they’re stunned to find a crowd of dozens of people all clad in gas masks. It’s clearly a well-orchestrated escape plan and Chance is now on the run. “I got him a new hearing so he could escape from the courthouse”, Vic laments.
The courthouse makes multiple appearances in Longmire and is actually found on S. Federal Plaza in Santa Fe. It’s close to the heart of the downtown area, so is another easy location to visit for Longmire fans.
Longmire apologizes to Nighthorse scene in Longmire
Santa Claran Hotel Casino
Throughout the six seasons of Longmire, Walt has plenty of run-ins and ongoing battles with local businessman and casino owner Jacob Nighthorse (A Martinez). But in episode four of season four, Walt is forced to apologize to his long-time nemesis.
After an RV collides with a bus heading to Nighthorse’s Four Arrows Casino, Longmire finds a woman’s body in a duffle bag. The sheriff heads to the casino to track down the bag’s owner, but before Nighthorse will offer him any assistance, he demands an apology from Walt.
“I’m sorry that my deeply held belief that you are a dishonorable, untrustworthy person led me to falsely accuse you of killing Branch Connally”, he says. As far as apologies go, we’ve heard better!
Interior and exterior casino scenes for Longmire were filmed at the Santa Claran Hotel Casino In Espanola, 25 miles north of Santa Fe. From the building itself to the front desk, you’ll instantly recognize the venue from numerous Longmire episodes.
Vic finally admits her feelings for Walt scene in Longmire
Las Vegas Plaza
No finale of a long-running series is going to keep everyone happy, but the final episode of Longmire season six comes close. All the loose story threads we’ve been following throughout the series are tied up and, more importantly, Walt finally finds happiness.
Across the six seasons, the audience was often left wondering whether there was any chance of romance between Vic and Walt. And finally, in the finale, they got the answer they were hoping for. After a tense shootout on the Crow Reservation, Walt is lucky to come away unscathed.
But the news is too much for Vic to take. As the two sit on the bench outside their office, she tells him why: “I don't think you understand. I cannot lose you.” It’s quite a moving scene and her words clearly have an effect on the usually stoic Walt — it’s clear he feels the same way about her.
The Sheriff’s Department is one of the most recognizable Longmire locations and is found in the southwestern corner of the Las Vegas Plaza. You’ll even be able to spot the Absaroka County Sheriff's Department badge on the door at the entrance, which will surely put a smile on the face of any longtime fan of Longmire.
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Conclusion
Season six of Longmire might have wrapped up several years ago now, but the show retains a loyal fanbase to this day — Walt Longmire is an enduring hero, and all seasons are engagingly written and well acted right across the board.
Of course, other than the titular character, the other main hero of Longmire is the scenery. The rugged beauty and wide-open spaces of New Mexico are the ideal setting for a sheriff who believes in his own brand of justice, and they make for plenty of beautiful vistas throughout the show’s six seasons.
So if you want to visit the filming location of Longmire, you’re in for a treat. Several other popular TV shows and movies were filmed in New Mexico — Breaking Bad, anyone? — so why not plan a New Mexico filming location road trip adventure?