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Movie Sites

From John Wayne Classics to Modern Blockbusters

Production Inquiry Form


The Moab to Monument Valley Film Commission holds the title of the longest running film commission in the world. Harkening back to the days of John Wayne and the classic western, the Moab area has been a popular destination for feature length films, commercials, and television shows for almost 75 years. In 1949, John Ford first ventured out from the iconic Monument Valley to film along the majestic Colorado River Corridor. Seeing that the production employed almost all of Moab’s 1,500 residents, local rancher George White founded the film commission to promote movie making in the area and establish a local crew base and production services.

Director Ridley Scott reported that he had “seen more wonderful and varied scenery in a single day in Moab than any other day [he had] scouted.” Such variance has made Moab a hot spot for movies of all genres. From the ranches of the old west, to the interplanetary fields of Mars, to mile after mile of classic road-trip roads, the scenery is as endless as the possibilities.

Visitors to Moab may find the area familiar as they tip-toe up to Thelma and Louise Point, set off on horseback to follow John Wayne’s hoof prints, or take in the view from Westworld’s Hub Mesa. Filmmakers will find thousands of square miles of sand deserts, snowy mountains, desolate canyons, verdant farmland, empty roads, and rushing rivers, – not to mention the iconic red rocks.

For information on filming in the area, get in touch with the Moab to Monument Valley Film Commission by visiting FILMMOAB.COM or calling 435-260-0097.


Films Made in the Area

2014 – Need for Speed

Location: Fossil Point

2014 – Transformers: Age of Extinction

Locations: Hole in the Rock

2013 – The Lone Ranger

Locations: Fossil Point and surrounding area, Hwy 279, Goldbar Campground, Professor Valley

2013 – After Earth

Locations: Fossil Point and surrounding area

2010 – John Carter

Locations: Lake Powell, Hanksville, Fossil Point and surrounding area, Hwy 279, Dead Horse Point, Fisher Towers

2010 – Guns, Girls, and Gambling

Locations: Seven Mile Canyon and surrounding area

2010 – 127 Hours

Locations: Blue John Canyon, Horseshoe Canyon, Sand Flats Recreation Area, Green River, Moab Regional Hospital

2008 – Star Trek

Locations: San Rafael Swell

2007 – All the Days Before Tomorrow

Locations: Highway 128, Arches National Park, Moab

2007 – The Canyon

Locations: Seven Mile Canyon

2002 – Austin Powers 3

Hwy 128 near Hittle Bottom, Hwy. 279 Wall Street, Hwy 313

2001 – Touched by an Angel

Locations: Dead Horse Point State Park, SR-313

2000 – Nurse Betty

Locations: Highways 128 and 279, Arches National Park

1999 – Vertical Limit

Location: Monument Valley

1999 – The Adventures of Joe Dirt

Location: Dead Horse Point State Park

1999 – Mission Impossible II

Location: Dead Horse Point State Park

1998 – Galaxy Quest

Locations: Goblin Valley State Park, Little Wild Horse Canyon

1998 – Chill Factor

Locations: Monument Valley, Castle Valley, SR-279

1997 – Lost Treasure of Dos Santos

Locations: Onion Creek, Flat Pass, Bates Ranch

1996 – Con-Air

Locations: Air shots over Dead Horse Point State Park, Canyonlands National Park, Monument Valley and Lake Powell

1996 – Breakdown

Locations: Professor Valley, SR 313, Texaco Station off High way 191

1995 – Riders of the Purple Sage

Locations: Dugout Ranch (main set), Flat Pass, Mill Creek Canyon, Kane Springs Road, Ten Mile area, and Pucker Pass

1995 – Larger Than Life

Locations: Harley Bates (Dole) Ranch (Mexican village set), Shafer Trail, Professor Valley, off Highways 191 and 313, Green River City, Floy Wash, Dunes

1994 – The Great American West

Locations: Monument Valley, Ida Gulch, Hauer Ranch, Fossil Point, Pucker Pass, Hook ‘n Ladder area

1993 – Lightning Jack

Locations: Fisher Towers, San Juan County

1993 – Geronimo: An American Legend

Locations: Professor Valley, Potash Trail, Potash Plant, Needles Overlook area, Sand Dunes off Ruby Ranch Road, Bates Ranch, Lawson Ranch, Onion Creek

1993 – City Slickers II: The Search for Curly’s Gold

Locations: Dugout Ranch, Fisher Towers, Onion Creek

1992 – Slaughter of the Innocents

Locations: Castle Rock, Onion Creek, Marie Ogden Settlement

1992 – Knights

Locations: Pucker Pass, Long Canyon, Professor Valley, La Sal Mountains, Needles Overlook

1990 – Thelma and Louise

Locations: Shafer Overlook, Arches National Park, La Sal, Cisco, Thompson Springs, Valley City Fossil Point

1988 – Sundown: Vampires in Retreat

Locations: Thompson Springs, Moab (Spanish Valley), Hittle Bottom, Arches National Park

1988 – Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Locations: Arches National Park, Sevenmile Canyon

1987 – Nightmare at Noon

Locations: Moab City, Ken’s Lake, Arches National Park, Colorado River

1985 – MacGyver

Locations: Dead Horse Point State Park, Shafer Overlook

1984 – Choke Canyon

Locations: Moab, Onion Creek, Professor Valley, Sand Flats, Dead Horse Point State Park, Byrd’s Ranch, Squaw Park

1982 – Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone

Locations: Kane Creek, Bull Canyon, Colorado River, Potash, lower Shafer Trail, Grey Hills

1975 – Against a Crooked Sky

Locations: Professor Valley, Colorado River, Castle Valley, Arches National Park, Dead Horse Point State Park

1967 – Blue

Locations: Professor Valley, Colorado River, Sevenmile Canyon, La Sal, Sand Flats, Redd’s Ranch, Woods’ Ranch

1966 – Wild Rovers

Locations: Arches National Park, Monument Valley

1964 – Rio Conchos

Locations: White’s Ranch, Castle Valley, Professor Valley, Arches National Park, Dead Horse Point State Park

1963 – The Greatest Story Ever Told

Locations: Island in the Sky, Green River Overlook

1963 – Cheyenne Autumn

Locations: White’s Ranch, Castle Valley, Professor Valley, Colorado River, Fisher Canyon, Arches National Park, Monument Valley, Mexican Hat

1961 – Comancheros

Locations: Professor Valley, Dead Horse Point State Park, Kings Bottom, La Sal Mountains, Fisher Valley, Onion Creek

1959 – Ten Who Dared

Locations: Big Bend of the Colorado River, White’s Ranch, Arches National Park, Dead Horse Point State Park

1958 – Warlock

Locations: Professor Valley, Dead Horse Point State Park, King’s Bottom, White’s Ranch, Arches, Sand Flats

1953 – Taza, Son of Cochise

Locations: White’s Ranch, Castle Valley, Professor Valley.

1950 – Rio Grande

Locations: White’s Ranch, Ida Gulch, Professor Valley, Colorado River, Onion Creek Narrows.

1949 – Wagon Master

Locations: Professor Valley, Colorado River, Spanish Valley.

Moab Set 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

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

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

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