If you’re a Western film fan, don’t miss visiting these cinematic locations in real life.
When my dad turned 80, he confessed that he had always wanted to ride a horse through Monument Valley. When I asked him why, he said he saw the film Fort Apache with John Wayne back in the 1950s, and has wanted to ride there ever since. The fact that this New York City-raised boy imagined himself riding the same trail John Wayne had galloped over in that classic film made me realize the power of the American Western. That year, my sisters and I brought my dad to Monument Valley, where a Navajo family took us on a guided ride through the iconic valley. Dad was to realize his dream.
It’s exciting to visit a place where a favorite film was shot, especially when that film is a Western. Fortunately, plenty of locations where some of the most famous movies were filmed are open to the public. If you’re a film buff, plan a visit to one or more of these photogenic destinations.
Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park in Arizona & Utah
One of the most recognizable film locations in the U.S., Monument Valley National Park is located on the Navajo Reservation and spans across Arizona and Utah.
It has appeared in many films over the decades, including Stagecoach (1939), Fort Apache (1948), She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949), The Searchers (1956), 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), Easy Rider (1969), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), Forrest Gump (1994), Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018), Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018), and many others. It’s also the sole location for the acclaimed TV show on AMC, Dark Winds.
For information on how to visit Monument Valley, see navajonationparks.org/navajo-tribal-parks/monument-valley.
Alabama Hills in Lone Pine, Calif.
The Alabama Hills are a formation of picturesque rocks and eroded hills at the base of the Sierra Nevada Mountain range, just west of the town of Lone Pine, Calif. Their dramatic Western look and close proximity to Los Angeles (only a three-hour drive) have made it a favorite of many filmmakers.
Films shot there include Hop-Along Cassidy (1935), Charge of the Light Brigade (1936), The Lone Ranger (1938), High Sierra (1941), How the West Was Won (1962), Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989), Tremors (1990), Gladiator (2000), Iron Man (2008), and Django Unchained (2012).
The nearby town of Lone Pine is home to the Lone Pine Film History Museum, which highlights the area’s frequent appearances in Hollywood feature films.
For information on visiting the Alabama Hills, see nps.gov/bibe/planyourvisit/index.htm.
Yuma, Ariz.
The town of Yuma in Arizona has long been a favorite with Western filmmakers because of its vast amount of wide-open desert spaces, its historic downtown Main Street, and nearby Colorado River.
Many famous films were shot here, including movies that aren’t Westerns. Casablanca (1942), Treasure of Sierra Madre (1948), 3:10 to Yuma (1957), Psycho (1960), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Return of the Jedi (1983), Dune (1984), Shawshank Redemption (1994), Into the Wild (2007), and Gunfight at Yuma (2012) are just some of the well-known movies shot in Yuma. A number of episodes of the Twilight Zone were also filmed here in the 1960s.
For details on what to see when visiting Yuma, go to visityuma.com.
Tombstone, Ariz.
The town of Tombstone, Ariz., was the site of the famous 1881 gunfight at the O.K. Corral, a shootout between local lawmen and outlaws.
Because parts of the historic town are so well preserved, it has served as the location for a number of films about this infamous incident, including Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957), Tombstone (1993), and Wyatt Earp (1994).
Tombstone is a popular tourist spot, filled with hotels, restaurants, shops, museums and plenty of attractions for fans of the Old West. Go to discovertombstone.com for more information.
Vasquez Rocks Natural Area in California
Close to Los Angeles and graced with dramatic rock formations, 932-acre Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park has provided the perfect location to so many films, TV shows and commercials, it’s almost impossible to keep track. Once you see the iconic Vasquez Rocks in person, you’ll recognize them over and over in films and on TV.
Some of the movies made in this location are One Million BC (1940), Apache (1954), The Ten Commandments (1956), Blazing Saddles (1974), Galaxy Quest (1999), Planet of the Apes (2001) and Star Trek (2009). Plenty of television shows from the 1960s also feature the distinctive rocks of this location, including Star Trek, Twilight Zone, Gunsmoke, Big Valley, Bonanza, The Fugitive, Lassie, The Rifleman, Six Million Dollar Man and Wild, Wild West.
You can learn more about visiting Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park at parks.lacounty.gov/vasquez-rocks-natural-area-and-nature-center.
Big Bend National Park in Lajitas, Texas
Craggy canyons tower over the Rio Grande river in Big Bend National Park in Texas, making it a dramatic location for Western films. Mountain terrain and desert plains, with entire mesas covered with branchy ocotillo plants and tall blooming yucca, provide stunning backdrops for films that are set in the dramatic west.
Some of the films shot here include Last of the Wild West (1951), Young Guns of Texas (1962), Barbarosa (1982), Paris, Texas (1984), All the Pretty Horses (2000), and No Country For Old Men (2007).
Big Bend National Park has camping facilities, a lodge and a number of other commercial services, making it easy to visit. See nps.gov/bibe/planyourvisit/index.htm for more information.
This article about Western film locations appeared in the February 2024 issue of Western Life Today magazine. Click here to subscribe!
