Filming Locations in Natrona County

If you're a traveler that loves film history, Natrona County has plenty of places to see that have been in the backdrop of several film projects over the years, from Bradly Cooper filming with Bear Grylls at Fremont Canyon to the famous Hells Half Acre that was featured in Starship Troopers.

Filming in Natrona County and central Wyoming has a deep history. There have been feature films, documentaries, television shows, commercials, and clothing catalog shoots. As the Film Casper liaison, I've coordinated and assisted with many projects; here are several locations for film buffs to check out when visiting Natrona County!

  1. Hell’s Half Acre county park on HWY 20/26, 45 miles NW of Casper: This location was used for Starship Troopers, and Toyota trucks still shoot advertisements.
  2. Bessemer Bend west of Casper on HWY 220: This location was used for the John Wayne movie, Hellfighters.
  3. Fremont Canyon and Pathfinder Reservoir: This location was the backdrop of Running Wild with Bear Grylls and The Challenge with special guest Bradly Cooper.
  4. Downtown Casper: A Wells Fargo Christmas commercial, shot in June with fake snow, was filmed in front of Lou Taubert Ranch Outfitters.
  5. Crimson Dawn Park on Casper Mountain: An episode of Ghost Adventures on the Discovery Channel was filmed here.

Feature Films in Natrona County

Starship Troopers, produced by Big Bug Pictures, directed by Paul Verhoeven, starring Casper Van Dien, Neal Patrick Harris, Denise Richards, Dale Dye, Dina Meyer, Jake Busey, Patrick Muldoon, Clancy Brown, and Michael Ironside, among many others, including 300 plus extras hired locally. The film was shot at Hell’s Half Acre, Natrona County Park, just past Powder River, Wyoming, on HWY 20/26. There was also a cover set constructed just off I25 in Casper, and that area provided out-of-the-weather space for filming.

Bessemer Bend

In the late 1960’s, John Wayne was hanging out in our town for the filming of Hellfighters at Bessemer Bend, which also starred Katherine Ross, Jim Hutton, Vera Miles, Bruce Cabot, and Jay C. Flippen.

Bradly Cooper Filming at Fremont Canyon

Running Wild with Bear Grylls, The Challenge with Bradley Cooper, filmed in Fremont Canyon and Pathfinder Reservoir in the fall of 2022, is still airing on National Geographic and Disney+.

Downtown Casper

Well’s Fargo filmed a Christmas Commercial in downtown Casper, hiring many locals as extras in the production. Bullitt Branded produced this project.

Ghost Adventures on Casper Mountain

Ghost Adventures with Zak Bagans, filmed in numerous locations around Natrona County during the summer of 2024, is airing on the Discovery Channel and Discovery+. They featured many stories about the area, including Crimson Dawn Park on Casper Mountain.

Noteworthy Mentions

  1. Street Outlaws summer of 2020 on HWY 257 between Robertson Road and Highway 220 for the Discovery Channel during the Covid Pandemic.
  2. Cookin’ with Cowboys – filmed on the Oregon Trail, in downtown Casper, at Alcova Reservoir, Independence Rock, and on the Banner Ranch in the fall of 2025. This show is currently showing on the Black Rock Entertainment app on Roku.
  3. The Great Platte River Road Archway Monument filmed in the Pathfinder Ranch area and used the footage for the Archway Monument in Kearney, Nebraska.
  4. Marlboro Cigarettes for the European advertising market – filmed on the Willow Creek Ranch in the northern part of Natrona County, and trucked in 400 horses for the project. Ridley Scott Advertising produced this project.

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Author

Kelly Eastes

Film Casper Liaison, Content Writer & Photographer

Kelly Eastes has been involved in the film industry here in Natrona County for decades. An expert in recruiting film projects and connecting crews with local resources, he doubles as a content creator for Visit Casper as his writing talents help better tell our story to visitors and locals alike.

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