Ext. Tuolumne County — Day
Every backdrop within a short drive
An 1850s main street with no modern traffic, a working steam railroad, a county-seat downtown, and high-Sierra granite — one county, one scout day. Every location pairs with a named permit path, and we’ll tell you which.
Productions on file
350+ since 1919
Elevation range
Sea level – 9,000 ft
Main permit paths
City · County · State
Drive from L.A.
5½ hours
Where to point the camera
Signature filming locations
Each photo in the gallery lists where the location is and which permit application covers it. If a spot isn’t listed, ask us — we’ll tell you which permit applies.
Ext. Railtown 1897 — Jamestown
Railtown 1897 State Historic Park
A working steam railroad with historic station, roundhouse, and scrap yard. Engine No. 3 played the time train in Back to the Future III; on site there’s a timeline of the movies and shows that have used the trains.
State Parks permit — via CFC
Ext. Main Street — Columbia
Columbia State Historic Park
A living Gold Rush town closed to vehicle traffic — horse carriages excepted. High Noon shot on this street, and it still reads as 1850 from every angle.
State Parks permit — via CFC
Int. County Jail — Sonora
Vacant County Jail
The former Tuolumne County Jail is bookable for filming — cells, corridors, and yard. There’s a site fee; call or email for current rates.
City of Sonora permit
Ext. Sonora Pass — Day
Half the county is Stanislaus National Forest
By region
The county by region
Seven shooting regions, each with its jurisdiction called out — so you know the permit path before you fall for the location.
Sonora
Working county-seat downtown: Victorian storefronts, courthouse, the historic jail.
City permit
Jamestown
Gold Rush main street and Railtown 1897 — the most-filmed square mile in the county.
County permit State Parks at Railtown
Columbia & Highway 49
The preserved 1850s town plus the Gold Country corridor that connects it all.
County permit State Parks in Columbia SHP
Groveland & Highway 120
Gateway-to-Yosemite mountain town, Pine Mountain Lake, Hetch Hetchy, and canyon road driving shots.
County permit
Highway 108 high country
Granite, alpine meadows, and snow line — up and over Sonora Pass at 9,600 feet.
County permit USFS on forest land
Tuolumne & Standard
Mill-town streets and small-town America that hasn’t been art-directed yet.
County permit
Chinese Camp & Red Hills
Serpentine rangeland with a spring wildflower bloom — the county’s badlands look. Most of Chinese Camp burned in September 2025; the 1854 church still stands. Red Hills is a BLM Area of Critical Environmental Concern; plan extra lead time.
County permit BLM in Red Hills
Not seeing your look?
Rivers, lakes, caves, ranches, an airport with a grass runway. Tell us the frame you need and we’ll match it.
Getting here
5½ hours by road from Los Angeles, two county airports, charter fields an hour out.
Scouting
We’ll scout with you
Tell us the look you need. We’ll help you find the setting, sort the jurisdiction, and connect you with local crew — start to wrap.