Enclosed by soaring mountain peaks, Pioneertown was created in 1946 as a 'living breathing movie set' in the Morongo Basin region of California's High Desert.

Spread over 32,000 acres (13k ha) of desert land, it functioned as an 1880s-themed town and various Wild West movies, including The Range Rider and Cody of the Pony Express were filmed here.

With the development of high-end movie studios, the site became obsolete. Today, it retains its Old West charm and is home to fewer than 500 residents.

This unique hideaway, in the heart of Burns Canyon (near Joshua Tree National Park), is just one of the properties you can find in this far-flung corner of California.

11 homes as far away from the real world as you can get