The Story
Most of the film was shot near Pierre and in the Badlands, but its emotional final winter scenes — Dunbar's farewell to the Lakota band, and the cavalry's pursuit through the snow — were filmed in Spearfish Canyon in November 1989. Real teepees built by Native American craftsmen were used in genuine winter conditions, on Forest Road 222 roughly three miles up-canyon from Spearfish Canyon Lodge. A wooden sign once marked the site but was removed after repeated vandalism, and no public GPS coordinate exists.
Surprising Facts
→ The winter scenes were shot in genuine November 1989 snow, using real teepees built by Native craftsmen.
→ The sign that once marked the spot was removed due to vandalism — there's no public marker today.
→ A widely repeated claim that "Dead Man" (1995) also filmed here is false; that film was shot elsewhere.