Cibolo Creek Ranch, Historic ranch in Presidio County, Texas.
Cibolo Creek Ranch is a 30,000-acre ranch in the Chinati Mountains of the Chihuahuan Desert near Shafter, Texas, about 15 miles east of the Mexico–United States border. Its three adobe forts, El Cibolo, La Cienega and La Morita, were built by Milton Faver in the 1850s; El Fortin del Cibolo, now a hotel, has watchtowers and three-foot-thick adobe walls. U.S. Route 67 crosses the property.
The property was established in the 1850s when the owner constructed three defensive forts to protect against raids in the region. These fortifications were essential for maintaining economic activity and settlement in this remote area during that era.
The ranch's name comes from Cibolo Creek, which runs through the property; the fort is called El Fortin del Cibolo. Since the 1950s the land has served as a film set, and guests today stay in the renovated adobe fort while the grounds are used for big game and bird hunting. In May 1999 the ranch hosted the wedding of Charlie Robison and Emily Robison of the Dixie Chicks.
The property is accessible only by advance reservation, and visitors should prepare for extreme heat and dry conditions. Accommodations and activities require planning ahead, as the ranch is situated far from nearby towns and services.
The ranch has served as a film location since the 1950s: Giant was shot here in 1956, followed by The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada in 2005, and There Will Be Blood and No Country for Old Men in 2007. In 2016, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died at the ranch while staying as a guest.
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