Filming since 1919
A century on camera
Over 350 productions have shot in Tuolumne County — silent-era westerns, Best Picture winners, network TV, and one time-traveling locomotive. The commission exists to add yours to the list.
Then and now — Main Street, Columbia. Drag the line.
About the commission
Your first call for filming in the Central Sierra
The Tuolumne County Film Commission is part of Visit Tuolumne County. We help productions scout locations, navigate permits, and connect with local crew — from Gold Rush main streets and a working steam railroad to high-Sierra wilderness, all within a short drive.
With elevations from near sea level to over 9,000 feet, the county has doubled for the Old West, small-town America, and open wilderness for over a hundred years. Get in touch and we’ll help you find the setting — the history below is our references reel.
1920s
The Virginian (1929)
Victor Fleming’s western stars Gary Cooper as a fun-loving cowboy out for revenge. Spot our local movie-star train in this flick, filmed in Sonora, Jamestown, and Lone Pine.
1930s
The Texan (1930) · Conflict (1936) · Dodge City (1939)
Errol Flynn made the jump to westerns in Warner Brothers’ top-grossing movie of 1939. Directed by Michael Curtiz (Casablanca), Dodge City sees Flynn as a sheriff set on cleaning up the town. Filmed in Jamestown.
1940s
My Little Chickadee (1940) · Young Tom Edison (1940) · Santa Fe Trail (1940) · Duel in the Sun (1946)
Mae West and W.C. Fields shared top billing in My Little Chickadee; a young Mickey Rooney played the inventor’s mischievous early years in Young Tom Edison, filmed in Sonora.
1950s
High Noon (1952) · The Lone Ranger (1956)
Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly star in the once-controversial, HUAC-era western High Noon. Watch in real time as the town marshal faces the gang arriving on the noon train — local landmarks feature in several scenes. Filmed in Columbia, Jamestown, and Tuolumne.
1960s
Rawhide (1960) · Petticoat Junction (1963–65) · The Great Race (1965) · The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1967) · The Great Bank Robbery (1969)
The Shady Rest Hotel welcomes you: catch familiar landmarks throughout Petticoat Junction, then stop by Railtown in Jamestown to see remnants of the show.
1970s
Bonanza (1972) · Slither (1973) · The Red Pony (1973) · World’s Greatest Lover (1977) · The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again (1979)
Season 14 of Bonanza brought the Cartwrights to the county’s rails and rangeland.
1980s
The Gambler (1980) · Little House on the Prairie (1982) · The Gambler II (1983) · The A-Team (1984)
Made-for-TV westerns kept the cameras rolling, Little House on the Prairie filmed here in 1982, and the A-Team came to town in 1984.
1990s
Back to the Future Part III (1990) · Unforgiven (1992) · Bad Girls (1994) · Shaughnessy (1996)
Great Scott! Robert Zemeckis brought the final installment of the trilogy to the old west — Railtown’s engine No. 3 is showcased as the Time Train. Two years later Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven rode to Best Picture.
2000s
Hidalgo (2004) · Monster Garage (2004) · Three Bad Men (2005) · Three Wishes (2005) · Discover Hetch Hetchy (2006) · 49ers cheerleader shoot (2008) · Bridgestone Tires (2008) · UFO Hunters (2009)
Viggo Mortensen’s long-distance race epic Hidalgo led a decade that mixed features with reality TV and commercial work.
2010s
House Hunters Vacations (2011) · Knights of Mayhem (2011) · Ghost Adventures (2013) · Paranormal State (2013) · Haunted Collector (2013) · The Road Within (2014) · CNN India (2016) · The Other Kids (2016) · California Dream Eater (2016) · Brand USA / California Road Trips (2017) · Wolves + Warriors (2017) · Extreme RVs (2018) · ABC7’s Bay Area Life (2018)
Ghost Adventures locked itself in the historic county jail for season 9 — one of three paranormal shows to visit in a single year.
2020s
Lantern’s Lane (2021) · Lowe’s Home Improvement (2024 Super Bowl) · Row Don’t Drift (2024)
The credits keep coming: an indie horror feature, a Super Bowl spot, and documentary work — all in the last few years.
