Our state has one of the most interesting and diverse landscapes in United States: from the Great Salt Lake to Arches National Park, from the state capital to the Salt Flats, or from Moab to Monument Valley: Movie-makers rely on the “out of this world” beauties of our state to bring movies that we love to life. The list of movies made in Utah range all the way from Western to Sci-Fi, from Musicals to Action; there are hundreds of movies that were filmed partially or fully in Utah, and we can find fifty in the Deseret News website if one is extra curious. The following are just a few of our favorites.

The iconic High School Musical was entirely filmed in Utah, showing many locations such as East High School in Salt Lake City; Murray High School; Jon M. Huntsman Center at the University of Utah; Snow Canyon Country Club; Murray; St. George, and Midvale. The classic Footloose filmed in 1984 was also filmed entirely in Utah, showing these locations: American Fork, Lehi, Orem, Provo, and Payson.

Everyone has heard of the movie Back to the Future III, but did you know it has scenes filmed in Monument Valley? Or that Forrest Gump also has scenes there? Even Pirates of the Caribbean at World’s End was partially filmed in Utah. It was filmed in the Bonneville Salt Flats, Wendover. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade was partially filmed in Utah, displaying Arches National Park, and Moab.

There is an iconic scene in Mission Impossible 2 filmed in Dead Horse Point State Park, Moab. The Martian landscape in the movieJohn Carter is actually scenery from Moab, Big Water, and Millard County.

It is only fair that a story based on something that happened in Utah is filmed in Utah. 127 Hours was filmed in Moab and Salt Lake City, the actual setting for the movie. According to KSL, The Searchers, Rio Grande, Stagecoach and the classic How the West Was Wonpretty much made Utah part of the United States.

To end this list, we must talk about Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Although the movie has many different settings, it will forever be known in Utah; Biography.com says that Butch Cassidy was born in Utah, and will forever be a legendary member of our history.