How Monument Valley became the epitome of the Wild West (2024)

The bizarre rock formations resemble mittens, elephants, camels, dragons or even a totem pole. The red plain we know today was formed millions of years ago. Once the Anasazi people lived in the area, but for unknown reasons they left as early as the 13th century. Later, the Navajo came and settled in Monument Valley.

Harry Goulding’s idea: A Western in Monument Valley!

Harry Goulding and his wife Leone, nicknamed "Mike", came to Monument Valley in 1921. The shepherd had purchased a piece of land and lived in a tent with his wife for the first few years. They set up a trading station where the local Natives could exchange their cattle and handcrafted goods for other commodities that were hard to come by in the area. The Gouldings were interested in the welfare of the Navajo people, popular with their neighbors, and known for their honesty. In 1928 they were finally able to build a house where they lived as well as established their trading center.

With the economic crisis, jobs were scarce and life was hard in the 1930s. When the Gouldings heard that the famous John Ford was seeking a location for his new film – a Western– they set off for Hollywood. In their luggage, they had some photos of Monument Valley taken by their friend Josef Muench. Somehow, they managed to get through to the director and present their photos to him. Ford did not have to think twice – the same month, the actors and the film crew traveled to Monument Valley. The new backdrop for the movie was found. It shaped the image of the Western and the Wild West to this day.

Monument Valley as a movie star

John Ford shot a total of nine films in Monument Valley, the first being "Stagecoach" (1938) with John Wayne. Afterwards, he and Wayne returned several times to further connect the image of the Wild West with Monument Valley in the minds of cinema audiences.

The "real" American settlers did not actually come to this Navajo area, but it stands as a metaphor for the conquest of the country and, perhaps like no other place, for the American West. In Ford's works, the Navajos took on the roles of the Apaches and Comanches and the entire crew had to be supplied – this created many new jobs.

Even today, Monument Valley and its inhabitants still thrive on the legacy of Ford's films: over 450,000 visitors come every year to experience the Wild West.Famous rock formations such as the Mitten Buttes and the Merrick Butte are located in what is now Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, freely accessible to everyone. However, guests can gain a deeper insight with a Navajo guide, who knows the best vantage points and provides interesting details about the country.

Ford's films were, of course, not the only ones to use the new potential of Monument Valley to their advantage. Other westerns like “Once Upon a Time in the West” used the area as a backdrop, but also well-known movies like “Easy Rider”, “Back to the Future 3”, “Forrest Gump” or “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” were partly shot here.Music videos and commercials were also filmed in Monument Valley, making it one of the most popular tourist attractions in the USA. But most of all, it is the embodiment of the Wild West – even though this area was never really part of it.

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