Explore the real-world places that appear in Misery by Stephen King. Each location on the map shows what happens there in the novel, the real history of the place, and what's there today. Featured locations include Annie Wilkes' Farmhouse, Mountain Highway Crash Site, Hotel Colorado, Kremmling Medical Supplies, Rocky Mountain National Park and 5 more.
Remote mountain property — Paul's prison
This isolated farmhouse becomes Paul Sheldon's prison after Annie rescues him from his car crash. Here, Annie forces Paul to write 'Misery's Return' while keeping him captive in the guest bedroom. The house contains Annie's collection of African fertility symbols, her bathroom where she performs the horrific hobbling scene, and the kitchen where she prepares his meals and pills. Paul eventually burns the manuscript here and fights Annie in the climactic battle.
The area around Silverthorne has been home to isolated mountain properties since the late 1800s, when miners and ranchers built cabins in the remote valleys. Many properties remain difficult to access, especially in winter.
The specific farmhouse is fictional, but similar remote properties still dot the mountainous terrain around Silverthorne and the surrounding valleys, many accessible only by dirt roads.
Highway 6 near Loveland Pass — Paul's accident
Paul Sheldon crashes his 1974 Camaro on this treacherous mountain highway during a blizzard while driving from his Colorado hideaway back to New York. The crash leaves him with severe injuries including compound fractures in both legs. Annie Wilkes discovers him here and pulls him from the wreckage, claiming she was on her way home from Kremmling. This crash sets the entire nightmare in motion.
Highway 6 over Loveland Pass has been a major but dangerous route through the Colorado Rockies since the 1930s. At 11,990 feet elevation, it's one of the highest paved roads in North America and frequently experiences severe weather conditions.
Highway 6 remains open year-round but is notoriously treacherous in winter. The Colorado Department of Transportation regularly issues warnings about the steep grades and weather conditions that make accidents common.
Visit: Loveland Pass (landmark)
526 Pine Street — Paul's writing retreat inspiration
While not explicitly named in the novel, Paul Sheldon stays at a grand Colorado mountain hotel to finish his literary novel 'Fast Cars' before the crash. King based this on hotels where writers traditionally retreat to work in isolation. Paul celebrates completing his manuscript here before beginning his fateful drive back to New York.
Built in 1893, the Hotel Colorado was designed as a summer retreat for wealthy Easterners. Presidents and celebrities including Theodore Roosevelt have stayed here. The hotel's remote mountain setting made it popular with writers seeking isolation.
The Hotel Colorado continues operating as a historic luxury hotel. It maintains its Victorian elegance and attracts guests seeking the same kind of mountain retreat atmosphere that drew Paul Sheldon.
Visit: Hotel Colorado (historic site)
Downtown Kremmling — Annie's medical background
Annie mentions traveling to Kremmling, suggesting this is where she might obtain medical supplies to treat Paul's injuries. As a former nurse, she uses her medical knowledge to keep Paul alive but deliberately withholds proper pain medication to maintain control over him. Her medical skills make her both Paul's savior and tormentor.
Kremmling has served as a regional hub for the surrounding ranch and mining communities since the 1880s. The town has always had basic medical facilities to serve the isolated mountain population.
Kremmling remains a small mountain town serving as a supply center for the surrounding rural areas. Modern medical facilities are limited, requiring serious cases to be transported to larger cities.
Trail Ridge Road — Colorado wilderness setting
The vast wilderness surrounding Paul's captivity emphasizes his isolation and helplessness. Annie's farmhouse sits in similar remote mountain terrain where screams cannot be heard and escape seems impossible. Paul contemplates the harsh mountain environment during his captivity, knowing that even if he escaped the house, survival in the wilderness would be nearly impossible with his injuries.
Established in 1915, Rocky Mountain National Park preserves over 400 square miles of pristine mountain wilderness. The area has always been sparsely populated due to harsh winters and rugged terrain.
The park attracts over 4 million visitors annually but still contains vast areas of true wilderness. Winter conditions remain as dangerous as they were when King wrote the novel.
Visit: Rocky Mountain National Park (park)
Berthoud Pass area — Geographical isolation
The Continental Divide represents the ultimate isolation of Paul's predicament. Annie's farmhouse lies in the remote valleys near this geographical barrier, making rescue unlikely and escape nearly impossible. Paul realizes that he's trapped not just by Annie but by the harsh mountain geography itself.
Berthoud Pass has been a crossing point over the Continental Divide since the 1860s. The area's extreme elevation and weather have always made it treacherous, with many travelers becoming stranded in storms.
Berthoud Pass remains an active mountain pass but still experiences severe weather conditions. The area continues to challenge even experienced mountain travelers.
Visit: Berthoud Pass (landmark)
Summit County — Mountain lake setting
The pristine mountain lakes and reservoirs near Annie's farmhouse provide a stark contrast to the horror occurring inside her home. Paul occasionally glimpses the beautiful Colorado landscape through the window of his prison room, making his captivity even more psychologically torturous as freedom seems so close yet impossibly far away.
Dillon Reservoir was created in 1963 when the town of Dillon was relocated and the valley was flooded for Denver's water supply. The area represents the intersection of natural beauty and human engineering in the Colorado mountains.
The reservoir is now a popular recreation area for boating, fishing, and hiking, surrounded by some of Colorado's most expensive mountain real estate.
Visit: Dillon Reservoir (park)
Summit County ski country — Seasonal isolation
The seasonal nature of Colorado's mountain communities contributes to Paul's isolation. During the off-season when Paul is captive, many properties are empty and roads less traveled, making Annie's ability to keep him hidden more plausible. The resort areas that might bring help are largely deserted during the shoulder seasons.
The Keystone area was developed for skiing in the 1970s, but like many Colorado mountain communities, it experiences dramatic seasonal population changes. Remote properties can go months without visitors.
Keystone is now a year-round resort, but many surrounding properties still experience seasonal abandonment, particularly during the spring and fall 'mud seasons.'
Visit: Keystone Resort (landmark)
Trans-Colorado Highway — Escape route
Interstate 70 represents Paul's connection to civilization and potential rescue. Annie must cross or travel near this major highway to reach town for supplies, always risking exposure. Paul dreams of somehow reaching this highway, knowing it could carry him to safety, but his physical condition and Annie's vigilance make this impossible.
Interstate 70 through Colorado was completed in the 1970s, becoming a major east-west route through the Rocky Mountains. It revolutionized transportation through the region but also made remote areas more accessible to those seeking isolation.
I-70 remains Colorado's primary east-west highway, carrying millions of travelers annually through some of the most spectacular and dangerous mountain terrain in North America.
Visit: Interstate 70 (landmark)
Summit County peaks — Mountain fortress setting
The towering peaks surrounding Annie's farmhouse create a natural fortress that emphasizes Paul's helplessness. Even if he could escape the house with his shattered legs, the mountains themselves would likely kill him. Annie uses this geographic reality as psychological torture, reminding Paul that the wilderness is as much his captor as she is.
Copper Mountain and the surrounding peaks have been barriers to travel since prehistoric times. Native Americans and early settlers learned to respect the deadly combination of altitude, weather, and terrain.
While now home to ski resorts and hiking trails, the high country around Copper Mountain remains dangerous for the unprepared. Mountain rescue operations are frequent.
Visit: Copper Mountain Resort (landmark)
More by Stephen King: The Stand locations map · Salem's Lot locations map · Mr. Mercedes locations map · Finders Keepers locations map · All Stephen King books