Ghost Ranch became especially associated with Georgia O'Keeffe's paintings of cliffs and desert forms.
O'Keeffe first visited the area north of Abiquiú in 1935 and later rented a house there. The ranch's dramatic red cliffs, open skies, and unusual geological formations became recurring subjects in her work. She described the landscape as one of the places where she felt most at home.
Ghost Ranch was part of a wider New Mexico landscape that O'Keeffe explored through repeated observation rather than quick tourism. She painted nearby cliffs, bones, roads, and architectural details in simplified forms that emphasized shape and color.
Ghost Ranch is sometimes confused with O'Keeffe's home at Abiquiú. The two places are separate but relatively close and both were central to her New Mexico years. Ghost Ranch is now a retreat and education center in Rio Arriba County and is also known for its paleontology, geology, and film locations.