The Johnson Canyon Movie Sets are located outside of Kanab, Utah. You travel 10 miles
easterly of Kanab on Highway 89 until you reach Johnson Canyon. You then turn left (north)
and travel about 5 miles. The location is next to the roadway on the right and the movie sets are visible from the roadway.
At the time that I visited the location, Max Bertola had recently purchased the property and was in the process of restoring the site, giving tours, and promoting continued filmmaking on
the property. Unfortunately, he is advertising the site as the home of Dodge City in the
"Gunsmoke" television series, which, of course, it was not. Dodge City in the television show
"Gunsmoke" was orignally the old Placerita Ranch/Monogram Ranch/Melody Ranch in Newhall,
California. It then moved to the Republic Studios lot, usually in one of their soundstages. Old
Tucson was used, I believe, for the reunion television movies.
The area has been used on television for "How the West Was Won", "Death Valley Days", "Have Gun, Will Travel", "Wagon Train", "Gunsmoke", "Call of the West" and others.
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Max Bertola not only states that
the Johnson Canyon Movie Set was the Dodge City of television fame, but he shows you the
"Long Branch" Saloon, the stairs leading up to the Doctor's office, and the barn/stables building.
Unfortunately, the doctor's office, if I remember correctly, was across the street from the saloon.
Max's doctor's office is next door to the saloon. The t.v. show's doctor's office stairs was on the
left side of the building while Max's is on the right side of the building. NOTE: Even though
Max is incorrect in the Gunsmoke/Dodge City use of his ranch, he has done extensive research
on the history of the site and freely gives that information to the general public, not only in his
tours, but in the magazine he publishes ("Max Bertola's Southern Utah") and on the Internet.
Since that time, the family of the original owners has taken back possession of the property. The ranch is currently owned by Trevor and Jennifer Stewart.
Although some of the sets and falsefronts have been removed (the site had not been used for
about 20 years and the sets were not kept up), many of the original buildings still stand (see
accompanying photos), some usuable at the time I visited, and others in the process of being
restored structually for safety sake. The site is basically a one-street town running north/south.
The falsefronts at the north end of town have been removed. 
Of the buildings that remain, the
back of them are dressed to appear to be different buildings, and can appear to be another town,
if needed. There are a couple of authentic early Mormon era pioneer buildings standing on the
property. All of the sets that remain are complete shells and can be used for interior filming
(when restoration is completed).
