Photos: John Wayne’s former California ranch sells for $11.25 million

A sprawling Riverside County ranch once owned by Western film star John Wayne has sold for $11.25 million, down 6% from the initial ask.

Located in Hemet, the 2,000-acre Rancho Pavoreal has a three-bedroom, 3,000-square-foot stucco home dating to 1950, an even older barn and impressive views of the surrounding valley and Palomar Mountain.

The property was listed at $12 million when it hit the market in January, although it had been on and off for years. In 2018, it was listed for $8 million and marketed as a potential pot farm.

Rancho Pavoreal sits halfway between San Diego and Palm Springs and is a 20-minute drive to Temecula Wine Country. It’s fenced and cross-fenced with room for horses and cattle.

Three wells, horse trails and a three-car garage add to the highlights.

The Oscar-winning actor nicknamed “The Duke” and a partner owned the ranch from 1938 to 1948, according to a California Department of Forestry archaeological report in 1993. Realtor.com reported in 2000 that Wayne owned it in the 1970s and regularly entertained guests with “horseback riding, shooting and other ranching activities.”

Wayne, who died in 1979 at 72, appeared in nearly 250 films throughout his career. His role as outlaw Ringo Kid in John Ford’s “Stagecoach” in 1939 propelled him to stardom. And in 1970, he won an Oscar for his starring role in “True Grit.”