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.
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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