Ghost Ranch became a recurring subject in Georgia O'Keeffe's paintings and home life.
O'Keeffe first visited the area north of Abiquiú in the 1930s and repeatedly painted its cliffs, hills, and changing light. The stark terrain offered broad forms and intense colors that suited her simplified, highly focused approach to landscape.
She eventually owned a house at Ghost Ranch, while also maintaining a home in the village of Abiquiú. Paintings associated with the area include views of the cliffs and the nearby Pedernal, a flat-topped mountain that appeared repeatedly in her work. She famously referred to Pedernal as her private mountain.
Ghost Ranch is sometimes confused with Abiquiú because both places were important to O'Keeffe. They are distinct locations: Ghost Ranch is a retreat and landscape area, while Abiquiú was the village where she also kept a home.