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Throughout Alaskan Bush People‘s time on air, people have often questioned how real the show is. Like any reality series, there’s some mystery to the show’s production, especially because viewers have a hard time believing some of the family’s exploits are realistic. Plus, the origins of the family—which have long been hidden or glossed over—suggest that everything is not as it seems.
In addition to their questionable start in the Alaskan bush, it’s true that the Brown family isn’t made up of Alaskan natives. Yet they’ve lived in the bush, or at least claimed to, for a long time. In recent years, the family moved to Washington state and created yet another Brown Town there. But as of 2022, Alaskan Bush People episodes have centered on the family’s plans to return to Alaska. Of course, that doesn’t mean fans will know where they’re actually located, or where the filming truly takes place.
Filming In Alaska Didn’t Always Go As Planned
Long before the Browns relocated to the lower 48 states for Ami Brown’s health care issues, which was long before patriarch Billy Brown passed away, people questioned whether Alaskan Bush People was authentic.
People who lived near their filming location eventually spoke out, and they were fed up with how much attention the area was getting—and not good attention, either.
At that time, filming in Alaska was supposedly happening out in the bush, at the family’s compound. But locals would say the family stayed at nicer accommodations in town, not truly ‘roughing it’ as the show suggested.
Later, when the family relocated for Ami Brown to be treated for lung cancer, they set up camp in Washington state, and the camera crew followed them. Fortunately, Ami recovered, but part of her treatment involved the family living in some comparably (to their Brown Town setup) luxurious digs that apparently belonged to a friend.
At that point, many people criticized the family in online forums and social media comments because the Browns weren’t even in Alaska.
That didn’t deter Discovery Channel from continuing to film and produce Alaskan Bush People, though. And it seems that in 2023, many of the Browns will truly relocate to Alaska.
As of the last few episodes of season 14, which were filmed in 2022, most of the Browns were still living in Washington and were making expeditions to Alaska to scout out property.
Where Do The Browns Live In Washington State?
Viewers know that the Brown family moved to a few different locations in Alaska before eventually packing up and heading to Washington. It seems that not every Brown family member lives in the same area, either; Joshua “Bam Bam” once lived on a houseboat with his girlfriend (a former producer for the show).
But as of 2022, the show’s Wikipedia page denotes two locations for the show’s filming; Chichagof Island, Alaska and Palmer Lake, Washington. The page even lists the coordinates for the location, including one for a camper (ostensibly Bear’s, as he and his wife have discussed their trailer living on the show).
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What might strike viewers as a bit strange is that the coordinates don’t line up with the place that Joshua, at least, actually lives. While the filming location in WA is listed as Palmer Lake, a recent news article that reported Bam Bam’s car accident on a Washington highway stated that he lived somewhere else.
Joshua was briefly hospitalized following the incident, which took the lives of the other driver and her passenger; Bam was not at fault for the accident.
In the initial reports naming Joshua as being involved in the accident, his residence is stated as Loomis, Washington.
Do The Browns Really Live In The Wilderness In Washington?
Assuming that the car accident reporting is correct, and that Bam Bam’s driver’s license or other form of ID shows his residence as Loomis, WA, viewers might be understandably confused.
It also doesn’t help that the coordinates from Wikipedia are the exact location of the center of Palmer Lake in WA. The lake is in Loomis, Washington, which does add up.
But also marked on Google Maps (apparently by fans) is North Star Ranch, the Brown family’s residence—in multiple different places.
Two locations are in Loomis, while the last is in Tonasket, WA. The Tonasket location is the most-liked (well, most-reviewed) by fans, and generally seems to be the agreed-upon location for the Browns’ ranch.
The question comes down to where the ranch is actually located, and whether Bam Bam truly lives there—or if he lives in the actual town of Loomis instead.
Of course, it’s all speculation, especially given that Bam Bam’s driver’s license address doesn’t reflect all the residences of his siblings or his mom. But it’s another small detail that might have fans of the reality series wondering just how true the basic premises of the show really are.
