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| Above, a view of Monument Valley from Forrest Gump Point. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
During my mini-vacation in September that took me from Ridgway, Colorado to Monument Valley, I took a route to Monument Valley that I hadn't taken before.
I came into Utah from the east and after entering the state, I headed south on U.S. Route 163 to enter Monument Valley. This route included Forrest Gump Point that was a few miles from the Monument Valley KOA Kampground where I stayed.
According to Fat Man Little Trail:
For those of us who were enthralled with the majestic journey of a simple man from Greenbow, Alabama, Forrest Gump Point is a must see moment. The spot is where the long bearded Gump finally got tired and decided to go home.
The real spot is just outside of Mexican Hat, Utah near the entrance of Monument Valley. Nineteen miles from the Arizona border on US-163 is where you will find the spot that is marked by a green road sign. Either side of the two-lane highway has a few pull-offs to park. Local stands also sell memorabilia around the highway. Much like the movie, there isn’t a ton of fanfare for the location, and the surrounding beauty steals the show from the official spot.
I made a brief stop at Forrest Gump Point. As expected, other tourists also stopped there to take photos. Unlike some knuckleheads there, I did not stand in the middle of the highway to take pictures. At the Forrest Gump Viewpoint, there were Navajo vendor stalls selling jewelry and other trinkets.
I only saw the movie Forrest Gump once when it first came out, so I vaguely remember the Monument Valley scene.
