Crossfire Trail is a 2001 western action film directed by Simon Wincer from the screenplay written by Charles Robert Carner.
The story of this made-for-television film is based on the 1954 book of the same name by American novelist Louis L’Amour that follows a wanderer, Rafe Covington who promised his dying best friend to take care of his Wyoming ranch and beloved wife before his death.
Even though the film sets in Wyoming, the actual shooting took place in a completely different location in Canada. Let’s dive into the actual filming locations of the movie right now.
Where was Crossfire Trail filmed?
Crossfire Trail was filmed at CL Ranch-45001 Township Road, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The guns and other firearms used in the film were specially designed for the filming purposes.
Filming took place in the ranch in summers of 2000 and the cast & crew spent several weeks at the Copthorne ranch. The filmmakers faced a number of challenges during filming, including bad weather and difficult terrai. But they were able to complete the film within budget.
You will find a lot of scenes where Joe Gill is carrying a weird-looking rifle that resembles with 1880s rifle. That classic gun was handmade and assembled in such a manner that it resembles the 1800s style.
CL Ranch, Cochrane, Alberta
According to CL Ranches, the ranch was established by Richard Copithorne in 1887 on the banks of Jumping Pound Creek.
The Copithorne Ranch is located in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, about 40 miles west of Calgary and has been operational since the late 19th century. It is home to a number of historic buildings, that includes a barn, bunkhouse, and a main house.
Production team of Crossfire Trail build a new town and a fort for shooting purposes. Most of the exterior scenes, including the horse chases and the gunfights were filmed at the ranch location. Moreover, a town square was built on the same working ranch.
The church scene was filmed at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church. Built in 1906, the church is a historic building in Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park of Cochrane, Alberta and is a well known tourist destinaton.
The same ranch has been used to film numerous Western films and television shows like Lonesome Dove (1985), Unforgiven (1992), Open Range (2003), and Brokeback Mountain (2005).
Calgary, Alberta
Calgary is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta located on the bank of Elbow River and Bow River. The city has the Rocky Mountain Foothills and the Canadian Prairies that provide ideal scenery to set up some ranch scenes.
The Bow River was used for filming a number of scenes, including the scene where Rafe Covington (Tom Selleck) and his friends drive a herd of cattle across the river. The river was also used for filming the scene where Covington and his friends are attacked by a group of outlaws.
Most of the interior scenes involving saloon, hotel, and prison were done inside Calgary.
Moreover, there is also a ranch on Township road that was used to shoot most of the scenes featuring Tom Selleck and Mark Harmon. Its diverse landscape made it a perfect location to film Crossfire Trail.
Even though Calgary is not a popular shooting location like Vancouver but it served as the filming location for various award-winning films such as The Revenant series, Inception, Interstellar 2, Game of Thrones, Every Which Way But Loose, etc.
Is there any difference between CL Ranch and Copithorne Ranch?
No, they are same. CL Ranch is also known as Copithorne Ranch, after the Copithorne family, who have owned and operated the ranch for over 120 years. The ranch is a popular destination for tourists, who can enjoy horseback riding, fishing, and hiking.
Since it is a private ranch, it is not open for everyone but the ranch owners offer tours to groups of 10 or more people. So, you can book the tours by contacting the CL Ranch directly or there is no way.
Interesting Facts about the filming of Crossfire Trail
- Crew used over 300 horses during filming
- The film’s town square set was built on a working ranch
- The saloon set was built in an old barn
- Real cowboys were used as extras
- Tom Selleck and Virginia Madsen did their own stunts
Who’s in the cast of Crossfire Trail?
- Tom Selleck as Rafe Covington
- David O’Hara as Rock Mullaney
- Joanna Miles as Melissa Thompson
- William Sanderson as Dewey – Bartender
- Ken Pogue as Gene Thompson
- Barry Corbin as Sheriff Walter Moncrief
- Wilford Brimley as Joe Gill
- Patrick Kilpatrick as Mike Taggart
- Virginia Madsen as Ann Rodney
- Kyla Wise as. Millie – Barmaid (as Kyla Anderson)
- Michael O’Shea as Charles Rodney
- James Nicholas as Chief Red Cloud
- Daniel Parker as Taggart Gang Member (as Daniel T. Parker)
- Rex Linn as Luke Taggart
- Mark Harmon as Bruce Barkow
- Christian Kane as J.T. Langston
- Brad Johnson as Beau Dorn
- Marshall R. Teague as Snake Corville (as Marshall Teague)
- Carmen Moore as Dancing Flower
- Mark Acheson as Capt. Gorgan
- Glen Gould as Bear Killer – Warrior with Chief Red Cloud
Synopsis
Crossfire Trail follows a wanderer named Rafe Covington who assures his dying best friend to take good care of his wife and secure his Wyoming territory even after his death. As the ranch is located in an attractive location, various gangs of the town are coming to takeover the place.
To our surprise, the widow wife of Covington’s best friend doesn’t even trust him and ask him to go away. Then, the local boss named Bruce Barkow tries to takeover the ranch and capture Ann in absence of Rafe Covington. Will Rafe been able to fulfill his promise and bring Ann safely?
Where to watch Crossfire Trail in 2023?
Crossfire Trail is currently available for streaming on FUBO inside the United States. You can also rent or purchase the film from Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Amazon, YouTube, Vudu, Microsoft Store, and DIRECTV across other countries.