Forrest Gump Point, located at Mile Marker 13 in Monument Valley, is a stunning photography location that offers an iconic view of the American Southwest. To get there, take US-163 north from Kayenta, Arizona, until you reach the mile marker 13 sign. The viewpoint is on the side of the road, and parking is available on the shoulder.
The viewpoint itself offers an expansive view of the valley, with towering red rock formations and sweeping desert vistas as far as the eye can see. This is the spot where Tom Hanks famously ended his cross-country run in the Forrest Gump movie.
Photo tips: To capture the best photos, it's recommended to visit during the early morning or late afternoon hours, when the sun is low in the sky and the shadows are long, adding depth and contrast to your images.
Bring a telephoto lens, which can help you capture the intricate details of the rock formations and the patterns in the desert landscape. Additionally, consider experimenting with different compositions, such as shooting low to the ground to emphasize the foreground, or using leading lines to guide the viewer's eye through the image.
Nearby: After capturing the iconic view from Forrest Gump Point, there are many other photography opportunities nearby. One option is to explore the rest of Monument Valley, which is full of unique rock formations and stunning vistas. Another option is to visit nearby national parks such as Canyonlands or Arches, which offer a wide variety of landscapes, from towering canyons to natural arches and bridges. Finally, consider visiting the nearby Navajo Tribal Park, which offers guided tours of the area's historic sites and cultural landmarks.
Early Winter sunrise at Forrest Gump point looking towards Monument Valley. A very clear and very cold day with some lashings of snow.
Monument Valley, on the Utah/Arizona border. Light trails at sundown on Hwy 163 near mile marker 9 in Utah. The sun had just set a few minutes...
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After our hike of antelope canyon we decided to try our luck and head back to monument valley, to get one more sunset shot. I had this location in mind for sunset but we slightly under estimated the distance and only reached here after sunset. When we reached at the famous 13 mile marker, it was almost completely dark with only a bit of light remaining in the far western sky.
It’s really hard to make sunset shots when it’s dark all around but you still have to use ND grad filters. This was the best shot of the bunch and it was a bit of work to get the foreground to brighten up. Thank you for visiting hope you enjoy the picture..
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I was looking for a good quote to post with an image today and came across this one. I was looking among my unposted images and I came across this one. This image was taken after our guided tour of monument valley, the sun had already gone down by the time we got back to our car and this location is about 13 miles from the entrance to monument valley. And when we finally reached our location, it looked like the sun has completely gone down with very little light.
Once I took the test shots with ISO set high, I could see some colors in the sky. So it set my make shift reverse ND grad with .6ND and .9ND grads ad went to town stitching this panorama shot. Since I didn't want get myself killed with oncoming traffic, I chose to take this shot from the highway side instead of the middle and I like how the lines leading up to the light. Hope you all like it...
A view of the desert landscape en route to Monument Valley. It was a bit difficult with vehicles constantly passing at high speeds. I had to run back...
Last year I did two trips to the Southwest and found the landscape to be both breathtaking and jaw-dropping. There's just so much amazing scenery out...