When a prison transport plane crashes in the rugged wilderness of Alaska, it’s up to a lone U.S. Marshal to take charge and find the escaped fugitives. Apple TV’s thriller “The Last Frontier” takes viewers on an exciting tour through some of the quietest and scariest areas of a wasteland. But it may surprise you to know that the dense, remote forests and icy terrains shown on screen weren’t shot on location in Alaska, but rather in cities located throughout Canada.
Filming locations for “The Last Frontier” stretch from Québec City and nearby Laurentians to the Canadian Rockies in Alberta and Montréal, according to IMDB. Filmed between February and November of 2024, the series was created by Jon Bokenkamp and Richard D’Ovidio and stars Simone Kessel as Sarah Remnick, Jason Clarke as Frank Remnick and Haley Bennett as Sidney Scofield. If you’re interested in visiting the jaw-dropping filming locations featured in “The Last Frontier,” read on for travel tips and places you can’t miss while planning your next trip to Canada.
Where Does ‘The Last Frontier’ Take Place?
The show takes place in the icy wilderness surrounding Fairbanks, Alaska, but “The Last Frontier” was actually filmed in areas throughout Canada. In the series, a plane with federal prisoners crashes in the icy wilderness of Alaska, not far from where Jason Clarke works as a U.S. Marshal. Eighteen of those passengers survive and are let loose into the rugged, snow-covered terrain. It’s up to Clarke to track down those fugitives in the outskirts of Fairbanks.
If you’re looking to immerse yourself in the wilderness featured on the show, you’ll need to travel to Canada instead of Alaska. Though the locations are different, the area where filming took place in Canada is similar enough to Alaska that, like the fugitives fighting for their life in the snow, you might just forget where you are.
Québec City’s Laurentian Mountains Shine On Screen
Key Scenes: The chilling forests and rivers seen on screen were contributed by the area in Canada called the Laurentians, located about 40 miles outside of Québec City.
Best Time to Visit: If you hope to capture the same snowy backdrops as seen on screen, you’ll want to travel to Québec City in the snowy winter months, from December to February. Snow sports like skiing and snowshoeing are popular around this time and festivals like the Québec Winter Carnival are held annually. It’s also a great spot to stop for holiday shopping, especially with the city’s German Christmas Market held every year throughout most of December.
Transportation Options: Since the wilderness surrounding Québec is quite remote, it’s ideal to have a car to navigate through the forests and visit the historical landmarks throughout the city.
Though it’s not Alaska, parts of Québec City could easily be mistaken for the wilderness seen on screen in “The Last Frontier.” According to AP News, U.S. Marshals from Fairbanks worked with the production team to ensure that the Canadian filming locations accurately depicted the rugged terrain in Alaska, where the show takes place. The film crew embraced the cold temperatures and challenging conditions to portray the hardships and thrills that the escaped fugitives must endure and navigate through in order to survive.
Filming in Québec City started around February 2024 and went through August of that year, ScreenRant reports. Shooting took place at the MELS Studio in Montreal for scenes depicting the inside of the plane before and during the crash. Moments showcasing historic architecture were primarily filmed here, partially for the ease of recreating an Alaskan-type setting, but also because of tax incentives and cooperative locals, The Cinemaholic notes.
The nearby Laurentians and Capitale-Nationale regions were also used in part to depict the barren landscapes that are central to the show’s story. The engulfing forest is hair-raising by itself, but that fear is multiplied when coupled with freezing temperatures and characters with unknown motives and contentious backstories.
Things to Do: Walk through Old Québec, a UNESCO World Heritage site with cobblestone streets that dates back to the 17th century. The nearby Laurentian Mountains are great for hiking, kayaking and taking in the views. Québec City is also full of historical sites to wander through, including Notre Dame De Québec Basilica Cathedral, a 17th-century church honoring the first bishop of the province, who played an important role in establishing the Catholic Church in Canada.
Where to Eat: Restaurant Tanière³ is a Michelin-starred eatery that promises to take customers on a culinary experience. Located in the cellars of house Leber and Charest, the tasting menu features distinctive dishes, while the surroundings are sure to transport visitors into historic Québec in a unique way. Chez Rioux & Pettigrew in Québec City is another can’t-miss spot that began as a wholesale grocer and now offers creative meals in a bistro-style setting.
Where to Stay: The 200-year-old Auberge Saint-Antoine is a quaint boutique hotel steeped in history. Le Gite Du Fleuve is a romantic bed and breakfast perfect for a couple’s trip or short stay. For a truly impressive experience, consider the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac, a castle located right in Old Québec, offering visitors walkable access to some of the best sights in the city.
Additional Filming For ‘The Last Frontier’ Took Place In Alberta
The entirety of “The Last Frontier” wasn’t filmed just in Québec City. Select cast and crew also travelled to Alberta for additional filming from Nov. 15 to Nov. 22 in 2024, before filming for the first season was officially wrapped, per Hollywood North Buzz. Filmmakers reportedly wanted to capture more dramatic shots in the snowscape of Alberta that felt natural and reminiscent of the Alaskan wilderness. The rugged terrain in Alberta worked perfectly for this mission by offering thrilling, wide-open backdrops to an already hair-raising story.
The snowy mountaintops of the Rockies, isolated roads and deserted spaces all aided in creating the middle-of-nowhere feeling that is central to the show. That feeling of traversing raw, untouched land isn’t specific just to Alaska, there’s similar conditions in Canada. The landscape and weather in Alberta consist of mountainous west coast and flat central prairies, with a desert-like landscape and rocky terrain. None of that makes for great living conditions, but it does allow for shows like “The Last Frontier” to look authentic.
Hollywood North Buzz notes that Simone Kessel, who plays Jason Clarke’s wife Sarah, shared with her Instagram followers in November that she was out in Calgary, Alberta for additional photography for the show. Filming was done in late November, and the first two episodes of the show premiered on Apple TV about a year later in October.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is “The Last Frontier” on Apple TV about?
“The Last Frontier” follows lead character Frank Remnick (Jason Clarke) on a search through the Alaskan wilderness for fugitives who survived a plane crash.
How many seasons of “The Last Frontier” are there?
There is currently one season of “The Last Frontier” available on Apple TV, with new episodes airing until the finale on Dec. 5.
