John Wayne shot one of his iconic films at this Nevada ranch — which can be yours for $15M
Hold onto your cowboy hats. A working Nevada cattle ranch where the Duke himself, John Wayne, once filmed a Western movie is up for grabs, asking $15 million.
This sprawling 1,230-acre property, known as Jacks Valley Ranch, was the longtime home of the late casino mogul John Ascuaga, who snagged this prime slice of the Wild West back in 1969, according to the Wall Street Journal, which first reported news of the listing.
Nestled at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, it’s 6 miles from Carson City and 40 miles south of Reno.
Dating to 1860, this ranch is packed with history. It boasts four houses, including a 5,400-square-foot main house with three bedrooms and a study, plus barns that are almost as old as Nevada itself.
There’s even a pool with a giant “A” at the bottom, and a cemetery where 19th-century pioneers lay.
Ascuaga, who turned a small coffee shop into the bustling Nugget casino in Sparks, made this ranch his retreat from the glitz and glam of the casino world. His kids, including son Stephen Ascuaga, grew up with the ultimate playground: hay barns, ponds and even a pet deer named Bananas.
“You’d leave the house and be back for dinner,” Stephen told the Journal. Bananas the deer would even race cars up the driveway.
The ranch was also a hotspot for celebrity guests like Red Skelton and Roy Clark, who’d hang out by day and entertain casino crowds by night. And in that brush with Hollywood glory, the opening scene of John Wayne’s “The Shootist” was filmed there. The Duke himself waved to Stephen’s school bus as it passed the set one day, as Stephen was a young boy at the time of production.
“All the kids had the windows down and everyone was excited,” Stephen recalled. “[Wayne] was gracious that way.”
Of course, no good story is complete without a spooky twist. The ranch’s old graveyard was the go-to spot for double dare punishments. Loser had to sprint through the cemetery — a half-mile from the main house — in the dead of night.
But all good things must come to an end. With the passing of John Ascuaga in 2021 and his wife Rose in 2020, the family decided it’s time to pass the torch. “The ranch was dad’s passion,” Stephen said. “We’ve come to terms with the fact that it may be time for someone else to enjoy it.”
For those looking to live out their own Western dreams, the ranch offers four developable parcels and 1,170 acres under conservation easement, ensuring it remains a cowboy’s paradise.
Ranch broker Mike Dunn says post-COVID, there’s been a boom in demand for private, secure properties like this. With its proximity to a private airport, plus hundreds of acres of pasture and forest, Jacks Valley Ranch is described as “a rare gem.”
Dunn of Chase International Luxury Real Estate is listing the property with agent Megan Lowe.
