Utah's roads of fame: Exploring Utah's roads featured in Hollywood

SALT LAKE CITY — Do you need ideas for a summer road trip? Take some inspiration from the big screen. You may be surprised to know some of Hollywood's biggest hits were shot on roads here in Utah, and traveling to the different locations has become its own source of tourism, taking travelers on Utah's "Roads of Fame."

So next time you're at the movies with a big, buttery popcorn, take notice.

"We always get a little bit of some really big movies," said Derek Mellus, Utah Film Commission Production Manager.

Utah tourists want to see them. The Utah Film Commission says 39% of tourists surveyed said a film or television show influenced their decision to come to Utah. So, our roads and off-roads are more famous than you think.

The opening scene for 2002's "Austin Powers in Goldmember" made it pretty obvious. Austin Powers parachutes into a self-driving car on Utah's scenic Potash Road near Moab. But Hollywood doesn't always just lay it out for you. Did you see Marvel's big hit, "Thunderbolts," where they blew up a limousine in the middle of the desert? That desert is just outside of Green River on old Highway 6, just an hour north of Moab.

"Marvel could have shot anywhere, and Jake Schreier, the director of that, really put his foot down and said, 'No, we want to do it here'," said Mellus.

Now, Hollywood would like you to believe one of the scooter scenes with Jim Carrey in "Dumb and Dumber" was actually in Aspen, Colorado, but it's not. The scene was shot just outside the Egyptian Theatre in Park City. And the airport that was supposed to be in Rhode Island? That's Salt Lake City's airport before the remodel. Remember the famous scene from Thelma and Louise, driving off the Grand Canyon? It's one of the most iconic endings in movie history.

You see Thelma & Louise and think the car really drove off the Grand Canyon, but it was actually shot right here just below Dead Horse State Park.

The spot is so popular, it can be found by name on Google Maps, and the Utah Film Commission has a physical marker on the overlook above it, telling tourists where to find it on the "Utah Film Trail." If you're in Moab on the right day, you may see one of the actual cars from Thelma & Louise too.

"Living in Moab. It gets a lot of attention when I take it downtown. I've used it in a lot of parades," said Larry Campbell, who owns the Thelma & Louise car.

Larry Campbell oversaw many of the cars you see in the movie, including one of the original 1966 Ford Thunderbirds.

"This car was actually stripped to be the third victim to go over the cliff," said Campbell.

Campbell told KSL he bought the car just after the movie wrapped.

"What does it mean for you to own this car?" Carlson asked Campbell.

"It means a lot to own this car. Of all the movies I've ever made, it's my favorite," Campbell said.

But the movie that really has tourists running to Utah is Forrest Gump. Today, the same breathtaking view of Monument Valley is anything but quiet. Now officially Forrest Gump Point, it attracts tourists from around the world.

"I love the outback — oh sorry this is a bit like the outback in Australia. I like the wilderness, whatever you call it here," said Tim Callins, movie tourist.

That includes a couple from Italy on their honeymoon.

"Did you come here specifically for the movie?" Carlson asked.

"Yes, yes, of course. We love the movie," said Sara Bistretto & Christian Beveluso, movie tourists.

The location for an iconic scene from "Back to the Future Part III" is harder to find. It was shot in the Navajo Nation, right on the Utah/Arizona border. You can piece it together driving through Monument Valley. Stuntman "Dr." Buck Montgomery knows it well; he was there.

"This gentleman right there, the second one back with the white face, holding that arrow in his hand, that's me," Montgomery said.

Recounting the movie on the big screen, he said it's the favorite of his career.

"I can talk to little kids these days, and I'll say, 'Back to the Future,' and they go, 'I know that movie,'" he said.

Kids of any age can also see a remake of the DeLorean on display at the "Once Upon a Time in America Museum" in Kanab.

Finally, take a good look at downtown Moab. You'll see it featured in the next "Godzilla x Kong: Supernova" movie coming out next year. Movie crews shut down two blocks of Main St. last July.

"They shot in many places outside the U.S.; and the only place they shot in the U.S. was Moab," said Bega Metzner, Moab to Monument Valley Film Commission Director.

So the next time you see your favorite movie, don't ignore the road, the cars or stars behind the wheel. There's a good chance you're watching Utah on the big screen — road trip-worthy destinations the world comes to see in person.

The road movie spots are just the tip of the iceberg; the Utah Film Commission has more Utah Film Trail markers dotting the state. Explore the Utah Film Trail here.

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