The Painted Turtle: Film, TV, Commercial, Photo Location in North Los Angeles
A 173-acre cinematic playground, built like a studio backlot

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One Private Backlot. Multiple Locations.

173 acres in North Los Angeles County built like a studio backlot, not a single set: lakefront, forest, ranch, campus, and more, all on one secured property 90 minutes from Hollywood.

The Painted Turtle offers filmmakers, photographers, and production teams exclusive access to one of Southern California’s most versatile shooting locations. From lakefront docks to mountain chaparral, working equestrian facilities to a full clinical set, our 173 acres deliver an unmatched range of looks without ever leaving the property, all while supporting our mission of providing free camp experiences to children with serious medical conditions.

Location Overview

Set within the Angeles National Forest near Lake Hughes, California, The Painted Turtle is a fully private site designed by the architects behind the Getty Center, built for scale, flexibility, and privacy that’s rare this close to Los Angeles.

Aerial overview of the 173-acre site
Aerial Overview
Map of The Painted Turtle
Site Map
Front Gate
  • 173 production-ready acres, fully gated and private
  • 90 minutes from downtown Los Angeles
  • Flexible footprint accommodating small crews to full-scale productions
  • Experienced hosting professional film, television, commercial, and photo productions

Several Locations. One Backlot.

A single site visit can cover an entire shot list. Available looks and sets include:

Boat House on Lake Wendy at The Painted Turtle Photos
Lakefront, Waterfront, Swamp, Boathouse & Docks
Cabin Row, Road leading past 16 cabins Photos
Roads and Forested Paths
Giant's Lawn with Gymnasium in the background Photos
Open Chaparral, Rolling Hills & Mountain Backdrops, Large Lawns & Meadows
Camper bunk room, eight beds, high ceiling with wood beams, four windows, handmade quilts on beds, wood floor Photos
Rustic Cabin & Residential Settings
Regulation - size Basketball Court, Gymnasium, high celings, painted camp banners on the walls, Photos
Gymnasium with Regulation-size Basketball Court, Dining Hall with Commercial Kitchen
Under the Sea themed treatment room, ocean murals painted on the walls in shades of green, cozy exam bed with handmade quilts, wooden and glass cabinet to hold all the medical supplies. Large windows dressed with bamboo shades Photos
Medical / Clinical Interior Set
Equestrian Center - Barn, red modern pole barn, entrance with paved area leading to the barn and horse fencing on either side. Photos
Barn, Paddock & Equestrian Center
Photos
High Ropes Course, Pool, Arts & Crafts, Woodshop
Photos
Existing Buildings & Infrastructure
Photos
Large Parking & Staging Lots
Photos
Seasonal Looks
Photos
Past Productions
Boat House on Lake Wendy at The Painted Turtle Boat Dock at The Painted Turtle, Lake Wendy Bridge over Lake Wendy at The Painted Turtle Lake Wendy at The Painted Turtle Bank at Lake Wendy Lake Wendy Fishing Dock at The Painted Turtle, wooden T shaped dock with trees and wester facade in the background. Fishing Dock with western facade in background Boat dock and Paddle Boats on Lake Wendy
Cabin Row, Road leading past 16 cabins Wooded path going down the horse trail by the lake Wooded path, horse trail, dirt trail with tress on either side Dirt Trail in west lot, mountain in background Dirt road surrounded by trees
Giant's Lawn with Gymnasium in the background Giants Lawn in front of the gym, large grassy field on a slope dirt path with small wooden cabin on the left lined with trees Dirt Road in West Lot, hillside, water tower in the distance Dirt Road through west parking lot, dry brush, small hillside in the background Dirt Road heading into the West Parking lot, brush on either side, mountains in the background.
Camper bunk room, eight beds, high ceiling with wood beams, four windows, handmade quilts on beds, wood floor Rustic wood cabin with cement path leading up to entrance. Interior rustic cabin, wooden back door, counter with sink, bookshelf to left, high ceiling natural light entering from windows Interior of cabin, wood paneling, natural light coming from large windows facing entrance, wood table.. Camper bunk room, eight beds, high ceiling with wood beams, four windows, handmade quilts on beds, wood floor Staff Housing Suite, Living Room, Blue Couch, lamp, chair, and painting on the wall Staff Housing Bedroom, two twin beds with quilts, fan above, wooden side table and dressers
Regulation - size Basketball Court, Gymnasium, high celings, painted camp banners on the walls, Regulation - size Basketball Court, Gymnasium, high celings, painted camp banners on the walls, Indoor Climbing Wall inside Gymnasium, bleachers for sitting on the right Dining Hall - Exterior, large wooden building, camp banner hanging on the outside, light pole and grass yard in front. Wooden Porch - Dining Hall, dark orange-stained wood floor with pergola above, picnic tables and rocking chairs Wooden tables in Dining Hall with benches, dark floor, high celiings with windows all around letting in natural light Commercial Kitchen in Dining Hall, stainless steel counter, pots and pans hanging, terra cotta tile floor, Dining Hall Commercial Kitchen, stainless steel prep area, large stoves and ovens, terra cotta floor, florescent ligths.
Under the Sea themed treatment room, ocean murals painted on the walls in shades of green, cozy exam bed with handmade quilts, wooden and glass cabinet to hold all the medical supplies. Large windows dressed with bamboo shades Wooden sign for the Well Shell, the medical facility on Camp Interior of the Well Shell, Lobby waiting area, green walls, cozy curved couch, Caribbean decor, large window at the end of the room with natural light pouring in. Interior of the medical facility, check in area looking into pharmacy, bamboo'/Caribbean decor, surf boards, stuffed animal monkeys and turtles all around. Interior Medical Facility, main room, large desk shaped like a turtle shell, dark floor, tropical decor, plants hanging, round vaulted ceiling that looks like the underside of a turtle shell. Common room in medical facility, dark floor, round wood tables for treatments and procedures, comfy recliner chairs, monkeys, turtles, plants, hanging all around, large windows overlook the outside area where trees, and the lake can be seen. Natural light floods the room. A tropical oasis not like you typical medical center. Tree-age Treatment Room painted murals of the woods adorn the walls, cozy chair, and exam bed that look like a wooden log Medical Facility, Bamboo hut called "Docs Hut" where the doctors sit and review medical forms.
Equestrian Center - Barn, red modern pole barn, entrance with paved area leading to the barn and horse fencing on either side. Equestrian Center - Barn Interior, stalls, path down center of the barn, cement floor Rustic small wooden house structure along horse trail filled with trees and brush. Western Facade Structure along Horse Trail. porch with doors surrounded by grass, brush , and trees Entrance to Uncle Billy's Orchard, metal gate, wood framed entrance, dirt road Paddock area at Horse Barn, silver fenced area, dirt turn out area for horses, green brush in the background Equestrian area, exterior, fencing, gate, trees in background, dirt area used for turning out the horses.
 
 

Production-Ready

Beyond the visuals, the site is built to support real production operations:

  • On-site space for crew, equipment, catering, and production operations
  • Dedicated parking, staging, and crew areas
  • Power access on site
  • On-site overnight lodging for cast and crew
  • Wi-Fi and cellular connectivity

Site Specs - Film Rentals

Filming at The Painted Turtle was a dream! We got all the shots we needed in one place. – Hulu

Location Scouting

Ready to scout The Painted Turtle for your next production? Reach out to schedule a site visit or request photo package.

Every production filmed at The Painted Turtle helps provide free, life-changing Camp experiences to children with serious medical conditions and their families.