WHERE: Monument Valley, Utah

Sure, you've been there. Maybe not in person, but at the movies where just about every cowboy worth his chaps has ridden into the sunset behind these iconic rock formations.

Monument Valley, northeast of Flagstaff near the Arizona-Utah border, is the 2,000-square-mile showpiece of Navajoland: More a flat desert plain than a valley, its red-tinted architecture is set against a mighty sky.

Long before these buttes — some almost 2,000 feet high — set the scene for "Stagecoach" (1939), and "Forrest Gump," (1994), more than a million years of erosion turned these sandstone cathedrals into places desert fans and movie directors love.

WHAT'S TO SEE: Rocks, sagebrush, snakes, cacti, yucca. And juniper trees more than 100 years old. If remote desert landscapes are not for you, don't come here.

The valley's 17-mile unpaved loop drive starts from the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park Visitor Center, where you can pick up a booklet guiding you to some of the more than 40 pinnacles on the route. The odd names reflect their shapes whittled by forces of nature: The Mittens, Three Sisters, Camel Butte, Elephant Butte, the Thumb, Big Rock Door and Totem Pole.

John Ford Point, about 3.5 miles in from the visitor center, commemorates the Irish-American film director (born Sean O'Feeney). From 1917 to his death in 1973, Ford made 125 movies and filmed many Westerns here with his pal John Wayne. From Ford's lookout, the panorama of Monument Valley has been called the eighth wonder of the world. Wayne's gun belt and swagger may be long gone, but his photographs remain in gas stations and restaurants at nearly every rest stop.

WITHIN A DAY'S DRIVE: Kayenta, 24 miles south on U.S. 163, is the nearest town and a busy Navajo trading center. Pick up supplies here for a road trip to Monument Valley.

Four Corners Monument, about 80 miles east of the valley, near Teec Nos Pos, Ariz., is where the corners of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah meet.

Meteor Crater, 35 miles east of Flagstaff, is where a plummeting meteorite formed a gigantic hole in the earth around 49,000 years ago. The Meteor Crater Visitor Center exhibits include a 10-minute movie and the Astronaut Wall of Fame honoring the Apollo astronauts who trained at the crater. www.meteorcrater.com.

GETTING THERE: Monument Valley is a full day's drive from Las Vegas (400 miles) or Phoenix (300 miles).

WHERE TO STAY: Goulding's Lodge is just outside the Monument Valley Tribal Park with stunning views and a restaurant that serves Navajo and American dishes. The lodge has a museum and a video library that includes films shot in Monument Valley. Goulding's winter package includes two nights lodging and an all-day tour for two in Monument Valley for $225, through March 31.

Best Western Wetherell Inn, Kayenta. Rate is $76 per room per night. Call 800-528-1234 or go to www.bestwestern.com.

Camping at Monument Valley is year round, near the visitor center at the entrance to Monument Valley Tribal Park. The Mitten View Campground has 99 sites. $10 a night during summer months. Limited amenities. www.navajonationparks.org/htm/monumentvalley.htm.