Famous Movie Locations You Can Visit in Utah
Wednesday 21st May 2025
Utah’s dramatic landscapes have served as the backdrop for countless Hollywood blockbusters, indie films, and classic Westerns over the decades. From towering red rock formations to vast desert plains and alpine mountains, the Beehive State offers filmmakers an incredible diversity of natural scenery that can transform into alien planets, ancient civilizations, or the iconic American West. With your Easirent vehicle from our Salt Lake City Airport location, you can embark on your own cinematic journey through Utah’s most famous movie locations. Pack your camera, queue up your favorite soundtracks, and follow in the footsteps of Hollywood legends.
Monument Valley – John Ford’s Country
No film location in Utah is more iconic than Monument Valley, straddling the Utah-Arizona border. This breathtaking landscape of towering sandstone buttes has been immortalized in countless John Ford Westerns starring John Wayne, including “Stagecoach” and “The Searchers.” More recently, it served as the backdrop for key scenes in “Forrest Gump,” where Tom Hanks ended his famous cross-country run on Highway 163 with the valley’s distinctive formations in the background. Drive your Easirent vehicle along this same stretch of highway for the perfect recreation photo. Though a 5-hour drive from Salt Lake City, the journey takes you through some of Utah’s most spectacular scenery. The Navajo Nation operates the tribal park, where guided tours provide insights into both the area’s Hollywood history and its cultural significance to the Navajo people. For the ultimate experience, drive through the valley at sunset when the fading light bathes the red rock formations in golden hues just as it did in those classic Western films.
Goblin Valley State Park – Galaxy Quest
Just three hours southeast of Salt Lake City lies one of Utah’s most otherworldly landscapes. Goblin Valley State Park’s unusual hoodoo formations – mushroom-shaped rock structures locally known as “goblins” – served as the alien planet surface in the cult classic “Galaxy Quest.” Walking among these bizarre rock formations, it’s easy to understand why filmmakers chose this location to represent an extraterrestrial world. The park’s relatively small size makes it perfect for a day trip from Salt Lake City, with well-maintained roads leading right to the valley’s edge. Unlike some film locations that restrict access, Goblin Valley allows visitors to wander freely among the formations, recreating scenes from the movie or creating your own alien adventure. The park’s remote location also makes it a perfect spot for night photography – after capturing your movie moments during the day, stay after dark to photograph the goblins against the spectacular Milky Way, creating your own science fiction scene.
Dead Horse Point State Park – Thelma & Louise
Perhaps the most dramatic movie ending ever filmed in Utah took place at Dead Horse Point State Park, where the final scene of “Thelma & Louise” sent the protagonists’ 1966 Thunderbird soaring into the Grand Canyon (though the actual location was this stunning Utah state park overlooking the Colorado River). Just a 4-hour drive from Salt Lake City, the park offers numerous viewpoints where you can see the same breathtaking panoramas featured in the film. The main overlook, with its 2,000-foot drop to the Colorado River below, provides the most recognizable vistas. Drive the scenic loop road to experience multiple perspectives of the canyon and the river’s dramatic gooseneck turns. For the best photographic opportunities, arrive in the late afternoon when the low sunlight illuminates the canyon walls with rich colors similar to those captured in the film’s emotional final moments. The park’s visitor center features information about its geology as well as its Hollywood connections.
Bonneville Salt Flats – The World’s Fastest Indian
Just 90 minutes west of Salt Lake City, the surreal white expanse of the Bonneville Salt Flats has been featured in numerous films, but perhaps most memorably in “The World’s Fastest Indian,” starring Anthony Hopkins. This vast salt flat, stretching over 30,000 acres, has a unique beauty that has made it a favorite for filmmakers seeking otherworldly backdrops. The perfectly flat white surface creates an ethereal landscape where the curvature of the earth becomes visible on the horizon. Drive your Easirent vehicle to the viewing area off Interstate 80 for spectacular photo opportunities – though remember that driving on the salt is only permitted during dry conditions and in designated areas. Time your visit for sunrise or sunset when the white salt reflects the sky’s changing colors, creating the same magical atmosphere captured in films. During summer months, heat mirages create the famous “water” illusion seen in many movies, where the distant salt flat appears to be covered in a shallow lake.
Park City – Sundance Film Festival Backdrop
While not a specific movie location, no film-focused Utah road trip would be complete without visiting Park City, home of the Sundance Film Festival and filming location for numerous independent productions. Just 40 minutes from Salt Lake City, Park City’s charming Main Street has appeared in countless films and hosts the annual influx of Hollywood stars during the festival. Drive through the historic district to see preserved buildings dating back to the silver mining boom that have served as backdrops in period films and modern productions alike. The Egyptian Theatre, with its distinctive facade, stands as the heart of the Sundance Film Festival and appears frequently in coverage of the event. Park City’s surrounding mountains have also featured in numerous winter sports films and served as training grounds for the documentary “The Weight of Gold.” Unlike some film locations that require challenging drives, Park City is easily accessible on well-maintained roads year-round, making it perfect for travelers seeking both cinematic history and modern amenities.
Snow Canyon State Park – Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Just five hours south of Salt Lake City near St. George, Snow Canyon State Park has provided scenery for numerous productions, most famously several scenes in “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.” The park’s dramatic red and white sandstone cliffs, ancient lava flows, and desert vegetation create a quintessential Western landscape that continues to attract filmmakers. Drive the park’s main road to access trailheads leading to specific filming locations, including the memorable bicycle scene locations. Unlike Monument Valley’s vast scale, Snow Canyon offers a more intimate canyon experience where visitors can easily hike to exact spots where iconic scenes were filmed. The park’s petrified dunes have appeared in science fiction productions, western films, and adventure movies over the decades. For photography enthusiasts, the canyon’s narrow passages create dramatic lighting effects in early morning and late afternoon – the same lighting conditions sought by cinematographers. The nearby town of St. George provides comfortable accommodations for travelers wanting to explore this cinematic region thoroughly.
Some more recent notable movies and tv shows shot in Utah
127 Hours (2010) – Bluejohn Canyon, near Canyonlands National Park
- True story of Aron Ralston, filmed on location in the actual slot canyons where the real incident occurred.
- This one’s remote and for serious hikers, but the surrounding Canyonlands and Moab area is easily accessible and just as stunning.
Westworld (2016–2022 HBO series) – Dead Horse Point & Castle Valley
- The rugged, cinematic terrain of Utah played a key role in creating the sci-fi Western world.
- Dead Horse Point offers the sweeping cliffside vistas seen throughout the series.
The Lone Ranger (2013) – Monument Valley & Moab
- Though the film had mixed reviews, its scenery was top-tier.
- Easily visitable via US-163 and surrounding highways.
John Carter (2012) – Lake Powell, Big Water, and Kane County
- Used Utah’s red rock desert landscapes to depict the planet Mars.
- You can visit parts of Glen Canyon and the Big Water Visitor Center on a scenic loop drive from Kanab.
Mission: Impossible 2 (2000) – Dead Horse Point State Park
- The opening rock-climbing sequence was filmed here—yes, that cliff-edge shot is real.
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (2007) – Bonneville Salt Flats
- The surreal white flats doubled for Davy Jones’ Locker in the film’s trippier scenes.
