A must see: Forrest Gump’s famous scene in Monument Valley

It’s a thing, at least for movie buffs. On our list of places to see during a recent Southwest trip was a spot on Route 163 near the Arizona-Utah border, mile 13 to be exact.

At the location in the Navajo Reservation, with majestic Monument Valley as a backdrop, Forrest Gump suddenly finished his ultra-ultra marathon of more than 15,000 miles in the 1994 movie starring Tom Hanks. My wife and I were terrified that we’d miss the spot as we drove from Monument Valley north to Moab, Utah, because we were driving the opposite direction of the the mile markers. It turns out it’s nearly impossible to miss because it’s become a mecca for other film nerds to stop and take photographs and videos. Many others were already pulled off the road when we arrived. There’s a makeshift sign naming the area Forrest Gump Hill.

Although the scene in the movie was short, the beauty of the location has always been a highlight.

And yes, my wife did take videos of me running down the middle of the road. It’s one of those strange bucket-list items that others may not appreciate.