Since 1949 the Moab area has been a popular location for Hollywood movies.
Movies filmed in our area range from the old John Wayne classics to more
recent hits such as Geronimo, City Slickers II, and Mission Impossible
II. Thelma and Louise took their final leap into the Colorado River from
along the Shafer Trail under Dead Horse Point near Moab! Numerous commercials,
and more recently music videos, have been filmed here.
In existence for 60 years, the Moab to Monument Valley Film Commission holds the title of the longest running film commission in North America.
Utah Native George White saw the need for a film commission when John Ford had expressed such interest in the Moab and Monument Valley areas. Originating with Stagecoach in 1939, and filming Wagon Master ten years later, Mr. White officially established the Moab to Monument Valley Film Commission in 1949.
As a result of the rich filming history, the Moab area has an established crew base and ample production services capable of accommodating just about any project, large or small.
Films Made in the Area
1939 - Stagecoach
1949 - Wagon Master
1950 - Rio Grande
1953 - Taza, son of Cochise
1958 - Warlock
1959 - Ten Who Dared
1961 - Comancheros
1963 - The Greatest Story Ever Told
1963 - Cheyenne Autumn
1964 - Rio Conchos
1966 - Wild Rovers
1966 - Fade In
1967 - Blue
1975 - Against a Crooked Sky
1982 - Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone
1984 - Choke Canyon
1985 - MacGyver
1987 - Nightmare at Noon
1988 - Sundown: Vampires in Retreat
1988 - Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
1990 - Thelma and Louise
1992 - Knights
1992 - Slaughter of the Innocents
1993 - Geronimo: An American Legend
1993 - City Slickers II: The Search for Curly's Gold
1993 - Lightning Jack
1994 - The Great American West
1995 - Larger Than Life
1995 - Riders of the Purple Sage
1996 - Breakdown
1996 - Con-Air
1997 - Lost Treasure of Dos Santos
1998 - Chill Factor
1998 - Galaxy Quest
1999 - The Adventures of Joe Dirt
1999 - Mission Impossible II
1999 - Vertical Limit
2000 - Nurse Betty
2001 - Touched by an Angel
2002 - Austin Powers 3
2005 - Don't Come Knocking
2007 - The Canyon
2008 - Star Trek
2009 - Remember I'll Always Love You
2010 - 127 Hours
2010 - John Carter of Mars
2010 - Guns, Girls, and Gambling
Moab Movie Locations
Take a drive down any of the following highways to catch a glimpse of the places where many of these movies were filmed. Although the sets for these movies no longer exist, the scenery is timeless.
Upper Colorado River Scenic Byway (U-128)
Onion Creek, Fisher Towers, Ida Gulch, White's Ranch (Red Cliffs Adventure Lodge), Castle Valley, Professor Valley, Big Bend, Hittle Bottom, Castle Rock (Castle Valley turnoff), Harley Bates Ranch, Lawson Ranch (Professor Valley turnoff), Hauer Ranch, Hook `n' Ladder Area - Scenic Byway Driving Tour
Dead Horse Point Mesa Scenic Byway (U-313)
Dead Horse Point State Park, Green River Overlook (Canyonlands National Park), Island in the Sky (Canyonlands National Park) - Scenic Byway Driving Tour
Potash-Lower Colorado River Scenic Byway (U-279)
Shafer Trail, Shafer Trail Overlook, Potash, Fossil Point, Pucker Pass, Long Canyon, Wall Street - Scenic Byway Driving Tour
North Highway 191
Arches National Park, Seven Mile Canyon, Bull Canyon, Ten Mile Rd
South Highway 191
Monument Valley, La Sal, San Juan County, Lake Powell
Highway 211
Dugout Ranch, Marie Ogden Settlement
1-70
Cisco,Thompson Springs, Ruby Ranch (exit 173), Green River City, Goblin Valley State Park, Floy Wash (exit 173), Little Wild Horse Canyon
Other Locations
Kane Creek, Sand Flats, Byrd's Ranch, Moab City, Pack Creek Ranch, Ken's Lake. Mill Creek Canyon, Flat Pass
View Larger Map
|
127 Hours - James Franco rappeling into Blue John Canyon.
Photo courtesy of Melissa Fletcher
127 Hours - Local Linus Platt rigging over the end
of
Blue John for the rappel scene.
Photo courtesy of Melissa Fletcher
127 Hours - L to R: Stunt Coordinator; Anthony Dod Mantle (Cinematographer); Danny Boyle (Director)
Photo courtesy of Melissa Fletcher
City Slickers II, 1993
Locations: Dugout Ranch, Fisher Towers, Onion Creek
Con-Air, 1997
Locations: Dead Horse Point State Park, Canyonlands National Park, Monument Valley & Lake Powell
Thelma & Louise, 1990
Locations: Arches & Canyonlands National Parks, La Sal, Cisco, Thompson Springs, Valley City, Fossil Point
Galaxy Quest, 1998
Location: Goblin Valley State Park
Geronimo: An American Legend, 1993
Locations: Professor Valley, Potash Trail, Potash Plant, Needles Overlook, White Wash Sand Dunes
MacGyver Pilot, 1985
Locations: Dead Horse Point State Park, Canyonlands National Park
Riders of the Purple Sage, 1995
Locations: Dugout Ranch, Flat Pass, Mill Creek Canyon, Kane Springs Road, Ten Mile area, Pucker Pass
Wagonmaster, 1949
Locations: Professor Valley, Colorado River, Spanish Valley
Film Commission
In existence for 60 years, the Moab to Monument Valley Film Commission holds the title of the longest running film commission in North America. Click here to visit their website.
Film Museum
When you enter the Film Museum at Red Cliffs Ranch be prepared to look back over years of black and white filmmaking featuring our most cherished actors and actresses, along with highlights from recent film projects that have taken advantage of the spectacular scenery surrounding Moab. The museum houses memorabilia from the early films to the present and is ever changing. Movie and western ranching themes are present throughout the resort. The museum is self-guided and open to the public daily at no charge. Highway 128 - Mile Marker 14 |
