Contrabando Movie Set
An abandoned 1985 film set constructed for the movie 'Uphill All the Way' and subsequently used in nine productions including John Sayles' 1996 film 'Lone Star' and the Lonesome Dove prequels 'Dead Man's Walk' and 'Streets of Laredo.' The cluster of adobe-style buildings — including a cantina — sits on the south side of FM 170 (El Camino del Rio / River Road), 9.5 miles west of Lajitas within Big Bend Ranch State Park, between the highway and the Rio Grande. A closed gate with the 'Contrabando' name marks the entry; the ruins are visible from the road. The surrounding stretch of FM 170 offers some of the most dramatic scenery in Texas: volcanic canyon walls, Rio Grande bends, and Chihuahuan Desert formations.
The cluster of adobe-style buildings here was constructed in 1985 as a set for the western comedy *Uphill All the Way*, and the location turned out to be useful enough that productions kept coming back — nine films in total, including John Sayles' *Lone Star*, and the Lonesome Dove prequels *Dead Man's Walk* and *Streets of Laredo*. The set sits between FM 170 and the Rio Grande inside Big Bend Ranch State Park, 9.5 miles west of Lajitas, and the canyon walls and desert formations pressing in on all sides made the spot a natural stand-in for a rough border town.
What you'll find today is reduced from its film-era footprint. Flooding and subsequent safety removals took down most of the original structures; the cantina building is what remains standing. The site is easy to spot from the road — a closed gate with the "Contrabando" name overhead marks the entry — and a short walk brings you to what's left. The Rio Grande is close enough to see from the ruins. Bear in mind this is a remote stretch of desert, with no services along this section of the road, so arrive with water and a full tank.
A genuine ghost-town curiosity directly on the FM 170 River Road run — riders pull off to walk through the crumbling film set with the Rio Grande canyon as backdrop. No fee, no facilities, no crowds; just a weird piece of Texas film history embedded in one of the most remote and visually stunning corridors in the state.
Shot by the riders who've run it.
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