True Grit walking tours
Ridgway's film history is conveyed by the downtown tour showing where True Grit was filmed, and the seven plaques that commemorate the 9 filming sites. (Two plaques in Ouray -- at the courthouse and The Outlaw -- are not not on the tour.)
In 2022, the tour was recognized nationally when it was named reader's choice for best historic town tour by True West magazine.
There are four ways to experience the tour and learn about Ridgway's movie history. 90% of attendees who evaluated our walking tour rated the tour and our tour guides as good to outstanding.
1) 2025 scheduled summer True Grit walking tours are 3pm every Friday in June, July and August. In the month of July, we have added two more tours a week: 10am Mondays and 3pm Wednesdays. Meet at the Hartwell Park gazebo 15 minutes before tour time. These tours are FREE.
2) Custom tours are also available and can be scheduled throughout the year at a time of your choosing. This costs $10 per person and should be paid in cash at the beginning of the tour. We ask several days notice so we can assign a tour guide. Contact Eve Becker-Doyle, evebeckerdoyle@Icloud.com, 469-682-9710.
3) If the time of our guided tours is not convenient, the True Grit audio tour can be purchased for $11.99. The audio file can be downloaded to your phone or other portable device. Ideally two people may listen to the recording, sharing a set of earbuds, as they stroll between the downtown filming locations. Click here to purchase: https://gesso.fm/collections/true-grit-walking-tour.
4) And of course you may take a self-guided tour. The seven plaques in downtown Ridgway have a map showing where other plaques/filming locations are situated. A brochure with an easier to read map is available at the Ridgway Visitor Center.
True Grit Mattie Ross Homestead
The restored Mattie Ross/True Grit homestead is on private property, but you can view it from the road anytime. Don't miss the opportunity to see where John Wayne said "Come and see a fat man sometime" and then jumped the fence. Go west on Highway 62 past Dallas Divide. Turn south (left) when you see the brown sign for Last Dollar Road (about 11 miles from Ridgway). Continue up Last Dollar Road about 2.5 miles. The homestead will be on your right.
Volunteers
We are a non-profit 501(c)3 organization consisting entirely of volunteers. If you would like to be a True Grit walking tour guide, please contact evebeckerdoyle@icloud.com.
