Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid was filmed in several locations across the American Southwest (and a couple of Mexico sequences). The core on-location work was done in Utah, Colorado, and Mexico, with studio work in California. Key filming locations:
- Zion National Park, Utah: The principal desert landscapes and the hideout scenes were shot here, including the sequence in which Butch and Sundance evade authorities after the first robbery.
- Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, Colorado: The railway robbery sequence and related chase scenes were photographed on this historic railroad line.
- Trimble Bridge near Durango, Colorado: The cliff-jumping sequence and river-through-the-canyon shots were filmed at this nearby Colorado location.
- 20th Century Fox Studios (Los Angeles), California: Several interior and stage-based scenes were shot on soundstages in Hollywood.
- Cuernavaca and Taxco, Mexico: Bolivia-set river and jungle scenes were filmed in Mexico to represent South American locations.
- Grafton, Utah (a ghost town near Zion): The hideout and related scenes were staged in and around this location.
Notes and context:
- The film blends on-location photography with studio work, a common approach for Westerns of that era. Utah and Colorado provide the distinctive red-rock and canyon backdrops, while the Mexico shoots stand in for Andean/Altiplano settings in Bolivia.
- If planning a visit to trace the filming history, a typical route would cover Zion National Park and nearby towns in Utah, the Durango region and historic rail lines in Colorado, plus a day or two to explore the Hollywood studio backlot options in Los Angeles.
If you’d like, I can tailor a visit itinerary with driving times, best seasons for each location, and any nearby film-related sites.
