Movies Filmed in Monument Valley

More than two dozen major films have used Monument Valley, starting with John Ford’s Stagecoach in 1939. Ford made seven Westerns here, and later the valley turned up in 2001: A Space Odyssey, Easy Rider, Back to the Future Part III, Thelma & Louise and Forrest Gump. Most of the famous shots can be seen from the Valley Drive or US-163, and the most famous viewpoint carries Ford’s name.

John Ford’s seven Westerns

Harry Goulding, who ran the trading post north of the valley, is usually credited with persuading Ford to film Stagecoach here, and the productions brought work to Navajo families in the valley, many of whom appeared as extras. The overlook now called John Ford Point is on the Valley Drive.

Films made since

The road where Forrest stops is outside the park, at Forrest Gump Point on US-163. The rest are inside or around the tribal park.

Seeing the film locations

Most of the views the films used are on the public Valley Drive: the Mittens, Merrick Butte, the Totem Pole and the open valley floor below John Ford Point. You can drive to them with the $10-a-person entry; the self-drive guide explains the road.

A Navajo guide adds the backcountry arches and rock art that the cameras rarely reached, and the valley’s own stories, which are older than any of these films. The Backcountry Jeep Tour covers the loop and the backcountry in 2.5 hours, and the full-day tour adds Mystery Valley.

The calendar below is for the Backcountry Jeep Tour with Navajo Guide, from $68 a person (checked October 2026); it stops at John Ford Point and the Mittens on the way:

Filming in the valley today needs a special-use permit from Navajo Nation Parks, as does any commercial photography.