I didn’t know a ranch in the Route 66 town of Newberry Springs, Calif., has been often used as a movie set. I’ll bet you didn’t, either.
But, according to the Victorville Daily Press, Spike Lynch’s hidden Roughout Ranch (between Interstate 15 and I-40) has been used as a film-shoot location in each of the past 15 years.
The Newberry Springs area, with its unusual topography of unexpected lakes and desert-scapes that can easily welcome “lunar” landings, has a few spots that see frequent filming, including the Pisgah Crater. This particular dormant volcanic cinder cone is a popular one, Taylor said, because it’s one of the few not on protected federal land.
Still, Taylor said, “The Bureau of Land Management in Barstow is one of the best bureaus in the state if not the nation. They’re very film friendly and they understand a film crew’s needs.”
They also understand how important the film business can be to the local economy. Filming generated more than $23.8 million for San Bernardino County in 2009, and Taylor said a large portion of those earnings came from High Desert shoots.
“A film company will call and say, ‘Find me a restaurant in the middle of nowhere,’ ” Taylor said. “And options I’ll give them include the Bagdad Cafe,” the Newberry Springs site of the 1987 German cult film by the same name.
Taylor said Toyota recently filmed a commercial in the Newberry Springs area, some student films shot there and a BBC documentary on Route 66 filmed along National Trails Highway.
On a related note, it appears Roughout Ranch is for sale, for $395,000.
While RVing on Highway 40 I have stopped several times in Newberry Springs. It looks like an interesting area and I will need to poke around more on the old Route 66. I collect postcards and have some of route 66 especially the old motels.
I’ve shot a couple of films there, “That Summer in LA” and “F-Stops” a music video and a bunch of shorts and photographs. The ranch is a fantastic location and offers not only unique landscape and geography but has versatile facilities and all the comforts of home for cast and crew.
Spike Lynch, the owner and manager of the ranch is a hospitable host and doubles as crew on most shoots. He’s not afraid to get in front of the camera either.