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How Does ‘6666’ Setting ‘Four Sixes Ranch’ Compare to ‘Yellowstone’ Set on Chief Joseph Ranch

Although the two shows are set to take place in the same Yellowstone universe, the two real-life ranches couldn’t be more different.

Variety is the spice of life – and Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan knows it. For both Yellowstone spinoffs so far, Sheridan and Paramount have announced radically different settings. In the case of Y:1883, that means traveling back two centuries into the true Wild West to explore the first Duttons to reach Montana. With 6666, this means heading to Texas to showcase the country’s most historic – and unique – ranch: the Four Sixes.

This remarkable, county-sized ranch is a world all its own. And while Yellowstone‘s Montana ranch feels the same, the two locales share very little in common outside of ranching.

‘Yellowstone’s Beautiful Chief Joseph Ranch

Where Yellowstone is concerned, the show centers around the Dutton’s homestead on their family-owned Yellowstone Ranch. Yellowstone is a fabrication for the show and is not a real, historic ranch. In fact, the Dutton’s house is a 5,000-square foot mansion located on Chief Joseph Ranch in Darby, Montana. Chief Joseph Ranch serves as the heart of Yellowstone, filling in for nearly every single Dutton-centric location: mansion, cabins, barns, bunkhouse, corrals, pens, stables, woods, cemetery, and all – right beside the Bitterroot River.

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John Dutton and his daughter-in-law, Monica Dutton, stand on the family’s Yellowstone Ranch, filmed at real-life Chief Joseph Ranch. Photo Credit: Yellowstone Gallery, Paramount Network Press Center, Viacom

Originally built for William Ford in the early 1900s, Chief Joseph Ranch is known for its enormous, stunning white barns – and the surrounding breathtaking views of Montana. Yellowstone fans immediately recognize the classically-shaped white barns. The family’s ‘Y’ brand – a mixture of two separate historical brands – is added to the chief structure for filming.

In addition, Chief Joseph takes reservations for guests to stay on the historic Western site. From it, visitors can view Trapper Peak’s iconic mountain silhouette, which is often on display in episodes of Yellowstone. The Bitterroot River Valley also sits at the ranch’s doorstep.

And Then There’s The Wild 6666…

Where to begin with the unrivaled Four Sixes. Unlike Yellowstone Ranch, this second spinoff’s title, 6666, comes directly from this real-life, beyond-legendary Texas ranch of the same name.

Four Sixes is an unbelievable venture spanning 260,000 acres in the state. This is the size and actual scope of an entire county. As the spinoff’s synopsis puts it:

“Founded when Comanches still ruled West Texas, no ranch in America is more steeped in the history of the West than the 6666. Still operating as it did two centuries before, and encompassing an entire county, the 6666 is where the rule of law and the laws of nature merge in a place where the most dangerous thing one does is the next thing … The 6666 is synonymous with the merciless endeavor to raise the finest horses and livestock in the world, and ultimately where world class cowboys are born and made.”

Yellowstone prequel 6666 synopsis

Surprisingly for those unfamiliar, this incredible description describes the real 6666 ranch as much as it does the upcoming television show. Moreover, the site’s historical section details that “Four Sixes Ranch is part of the famous Burnett Ranches LLC, which is among the most storied family-run businesses in Texas history.”

“Located near Guthrie, Texas, the ranch is dedicated to the production of the finest American Quarter Horses and Angus cattle in the country. As well as providing state-of-the-art veterinary and reproductive services,” 6666 continues on their official website.

The History of Four Sixes Ranch

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Four Sixes cowboys hard at work during a spring wrangle. (Photo by Shelly Katz/The LIFE Images Collection via Getty Images/Getty Images)

Four Sixes became a reality under Captain Samuel “Burk” Burnett in 1870. During this tumultuous year, Burnett purchased 100 head of cattle wearing the “6666” brand from Frank Crowley of Denton, Texas. Today, Burnett Ranches encompasses the aforementioned 260,000 acres. This places it on an entirely different scale altogether from Yellowstone’s Chief Joseph Ranch.

This mass, county-wide acreage includes the Four Sixes Ranch headquarters, near Guthrie. It also includes “the Dixon Creek Ranch, between Panhandle and Borger. Both are located in the western half of the state,” 6666 details of the remarkable locale.

For even more on this incredible ranch, including full video footage, head on over to ‘Yellowstone’s ‘6666’ Spinoff: What to Know About the Show’s Setting, Four Sixes Ranch next.