The song was used as a symbol, warning the characters about potential death in the 2000 film Final Destination, which revolves around the aftermath of a plane crash (which is a reference to Denver’s death in a plane crash.) The song appears various times throughout the film as a sign of foreshadowing death. You can hear the famous tune playing in the background in this scene:
The song is mentioned briefly in the 1994 film Dumb and Dumber. Aspen-bound, the two main protagonists drive for several hours in the wrong direction. They mistake a desert for the Rockies, mentioning that they “expected the Rocky Mountains to be a little rockier than this, that John Denver’s full of shit, man”.
There is a run named “Rocky Mountain High” at a ski resort near Aspen that was called, Snowmass Ski Resort. It was named that in honor of the late John Denver.
In the famous TV show Coach, the character Christine Armstrong claims that she spent a year as a John Denver groupie. However, she refuses to give the rockstar’s name. Despite this, she says she was his “Rocky Mountain High”; none of the other characters understood to whom she was referring to with the song title.
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