John Ford Point in Monument Valley

John Ford Point is a rock ledge on Monument Valley’s Valley Drive that looks out over the valley floor, named after John Ford, who filmed Stagecoach, The Searchers and five more Westerns here. You can drive to it yourself once you have paid the park’s $10-a-person entry, and every guided tour of the valley stops there. It is where people take the most copied photograph in Monument Valley: a rider on a horse at the edge of the rock, with the buttes behind.

Getting there

John Ford Point is one of the numbered stops on the Valley Drive, a short way past the Three Sisters and before the road reaches Camel Butte. From the visitor center it is a slow drive down the rough dirt road; allow about 20 to 30 minutes with the earlier stops. There is space to park, and the viewpoint is a few steps from the cars.

The Valley Drive’s last entry is early, 2:30 pm from October to January, 3:30 pm in spring and 4:30 pm in summer, so do not leave it to the end of the day. The entrance fee guide has the hours.

The horse photo

On most days a Navajo rider waits at the point with a horse. For a small fee, paid to the rider, you can be photographed on the horse at the edge of the ledge, or photograph the rider there yourself. Ask before you take a picture of anyone, agree the price first, and carry some cash.

Why it carries Ford’s name

John Ford first came to the valley to film Stagecoach in 1939 and came back for six more Westerns, The Searchers among them, so the ledge where his cameras looked out over the valley floor took his name. The Monument Valley movies guide lists all seven of his films, how he came to the valley, and the films made here since, from 2001: A Space Odyssey to Forrest Gump.

With a guide

A tour adds little at John Ford Point itself; it is one of the stops you can reach on your own. What it adds is the rest of the drive. From the point, the tours carry on into the backcountry, to Moccasin Arch, Sun’s Eye and the Big Hogan, which private cars cannot enter. The sunset tour reaches John Ford Point in the evening light, and the Backcountry Jeep Tour runs through the day, from $68 a person (checked October 2026).

The calendar below is for the Sunset Tour with Navajo Guide, from $78 a person (checked October 2026); start times move with the sunset: