Home of the stars: A guide to stargazing and movie locations in Utah
With such a spectacular array of mountains, lakes and deserts, it’s easy to see why so many directors have fallen for Utah. But it’s not just movie stars that light up the state. The highest concentration of International Dark Sky-certified areas in the world are found in Utah. Here’s where to see all the stars of this state for yourself…
Utah in the USA has been a backdrop for stars of TV and the silver screen since the release of The Deadwood Coach and The Covered Wagon in 1924. The red-rock landscapes of the south have starred in Thelma & Louise, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Forrest Gump, and TV series Westworld. Head north to explore the peaks that starred in Jeremiah Johnson and the small, mountain towns (as well as Salt Lake City itself) that featured in TV show Yellowstone. With such a spectacular array of mountains, lakes and deserts, it’s easy to see why so many directors have fallen for Utah. But it’s not just movie stars that light up the state. The highest concentration of International Dark Sky-certified areas in the world are found in Utah. Here’s where to see all the stars of this state for yourself…
Salt Lake City
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Salt Lake City’s photogenic skyline (Visit Utah) -
Temple Square encompasses 5 city blocks of historic sites (Visit Utah) -
Clark Planetarium is free and offers three floors of hands-on exhibits (Sean Buckley)
Famous for its Salt Lake Temple and Tabernacle Choir, Salt Lake is renowned for combining the traditional and progressive. Visit the galleries and museums such as the Utah Museum of Fine Art, the Urban Arts Gallery and the Natural History Museum of Utah.
Salt Lake also offers nature and you can find hikes, bike trails, national parks and mountains all within easy distance. Film buffs can visit locations from movies such as High School Musical (East High School) and Legally Blonde 2 (Utah State Capitol), as well as from season two of TV’s Yellowstone (Spanish Fork).
Elsewhere, Salt Lake County’s Clark Planetarium and Observatory is free and has three floors of exhibits including a Mars landing simulator. At the University of Utah’s South Physics Observatory, attend free public star parties hosted on Wednesday nights when the skies are clear. You’ll see galaxies, stars, moons and more. Don’t miss a tour of nearby Antelope Island, a Certified International Dark Sky Park just an hour’s drive from Salt Lake. A knowledgeable guide will show you around and tell you about the constellations, planets and moon.
Greater Zion
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Under the night skies of Zion National Park and Greater Zion a galaxy awaits with countless twinkling stars(David J West) -
Angels Landing is no ordinary trail and is one of the world’s most iconic hikes with breathtaking views and heaps of thrilling adventures(Visit Utah) -
The Virgin River flows through Zion National Park (Matt Morgan)
With its red cliffs, carved canyons and vistas, the 6,200 sq km Greater Zion area is an adventurer’s dream. Zion National Park was the third-most-visited park in the USA in 2023 and its colourful scenery has provided a backdrop for many a motion picture. Icons including Robert Redford, Paul Newman, Clint Eastwood, John Wayne, Kevin Costner and many more have all featured in films shot here, including Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, How the West Was Won, Horizon and The Outlaw Josie Wales.
The stars above Zion are also worth seeking out. In 2021, Zion National Park was certified an International Dark Sky Park. More recently, the quaint town of Springdale, a gateway to the park, was given Dark Sky Community status, offering visitors starry skies before they even set foot in the park.
Moab and Grand County
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Dead Horse Point State Park starred in “Mission Impossible 2” (Visit Utah) -
The night sky glitters above Balanced Rock in Arches National Park (Marco Meniero) -
Canyonland’s cool rock formations were formed by the Colorado River (Audley Livingstone)
Grand County is world-famous for the thousands of arches and vast canyon country that surround the city of Moab, including two national parks: Arches and Canyonlands. Located on the Colorado Plateau, the area has been eroded by large rivers and wind sources for millions of years, and the result is majestic scenery and iconic film backdrops.
Moab has the longest running film commission in the world and was a favourite spot for early John Ford and John Wayne westerns. That long history continues into modern times, including the iconic, final shot in the 1991 movie Thelma & Louise (one of Brad Pitt’s first movies). A short walk in Dead Horse State Park leads to a thrilling view over the Gooseneck, a large bend in the Colorado River, and Fossil Point, the scene for the climax of the film. Hundreds of other movies have cast Moab for its dramatic landscape, including Kevin Costner’s new western Horizon that debuted at the Cannes Film Festival in 2024.
When night falls, look skyward. Last year, Moab became one of Utah’s Dark Sky Communities. Both the national and state parks run a mix of ranger-led tours and night-sky programmes.
Kanab
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Kanab’s Sand Caves were left behind after its sand mining days (Visit Utah) -
Coyote Buttes South offers a less crowded experience of viewing the Paria Canyon-Vermillion Cliffs (KCOT) -
Discover the alien rock formations of the White Pockets (Visit Utah)
Kanab lies on Utah’s southern border with Arizona. The Colorado river forms its eastern limits, while the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument marks the northern fringes. It also borders the east side of Zion. This is where deserts, mountains and cliffs create the rugged scenery seen in many western films. Dubbed ‘Little Hollywood’ for good reason, it has set the stage for The Lone Ranger (2013), Billy the Kid, Stagecoach and Planet of the Apes (1968), among others.
Cosmic sprawl replaces urban spread in remote Kanab. Federal land David J. West; David Swindler; Douglas Pulsipher; Sandra Salvas; Royce’s NightScapes and rural public areas mean that it’s easy to find a stargazing spot just by driving down a dirt road. Book the Adventure Tour Company’s Campfire S’mores and Stars tour to stargaze from the fireside in a private canyon.
Capitol Reef Country
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The Temple of the Moon in Capitol Reef National Park was formed some 160 million years ago (Royce Bair) -
Capitol Reef National Park is catnip for road trippers (Steve Greenwood) -
Capitol Reef’s mountains make for a majestic movie backdrop (Visit Utah)
Capitol Reef National Park offers rose-coloured cliffs and Mars-like rock formations, making it a hit with hikers, campers and stargazers. Hollywood stars have also graced Capitol Reef’s landscape in films such as John Carter and Point Break.
What’s more, the town of Torrey’s residents came together to protect their night skies, improving outdoor lighting ordinances and retrofitting outdoor lighting to minimise light pollution. This close relationship with nature and the cosmos means the town is now a certified Dark Sky Community, and the national park has become a renowned Dark Sky Park.
Wherever you are in Utah, you’ll never be far away from the stars.
