Cathedral Valley Tour: Discover Capitol Reef's Hidden Gems

Embark on a private Cathedral Valley tour to explore the hidden gems of Capitol Reef. Discover awe-inspiring features and experience the heart and soul of this stunning national park.

Duration: 7 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Cathedral Valley - Guests will be picked up from their lodging in one of our luxury off-road SUVs. They will then be driven through roughly 70 miles of Utah’s most remote terrain. The famous Cathedral Valley Loop features a dramatic river crossing (safely navigated in our capable SUVs) and scenic stops. Refreshments and a stop for lunch and/or…
What's Included
  • Bottled water
  • In-vehicle air conditioning
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
Additional Information

Cathedral Valley is a hidden gem that often leaves visitors wondering, “Where is that? Why didn’t I see it when I visited Capitol Reef?”
The truth is, while some of its breathtaking features are highlighted in promotional materials, accessing this area is not recommended for first-time park visitors in rental vehicles. However, it is highly recommended…

Location
8J77+H8 Torrey
This pick-up address is The Hidden Falls gas station's parking lot. The same parking lot is shared with La Cueva restaurant. Park under a big green sign with gas prices on. Your tour guide will arrive in a SUV/Jeep with the letters MERIDIAN on it.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(42 Ratings)
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1 star
Pandurang
Jun 3, 2025
Exceptional service by Meridian photography and tours. - Meridian Photography and Tours delivered exceptional service at Capitol Reef National Park! Expert guides, stunning vistas, and seamless logistics resulted in unforgettable, professionally captured memories, exceeding all expectations.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mytrip0
May 28, 2025
Temple of Sun Tour - Our tour guide was excellent. Our tour was actually called the Temple of the Sun tour. Our guide was a former park ranger, very knowledgeable and was engaging. He shared a lot of information about the area we were visiting. He was prepared with plenty of water and snacks. He took photos for us. It was a very enjoyable 4 hours. This tour is a small group so get a lot of personal attention. I would do this again and highly recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Geoff_j
May 23, 2025
Great Adventure. Highly Recommended. - Great off road adventure. Very little on crazy rocky roads. Most on back country dirt roads. Plenty of interesting and beautiful things to see that you won’t see if you are “stuck” around Utah 24. Mel the guide was great. Knowledgeable and informative. If we come back we will definitely use them again.
Review provided by Viator
Kimberly_o
May 18, 2025
Capitol Reef with Jenny - Jenny from Russia was our guide. Jenny was funny, talkative and very knowledgeable. Jenny showed us all the beautiful sights of capitol reef and then some extra sights. The tour was just the two of us and Jenny which made it even better. We would highly recommend this tour with Jenny.
Review provided by Viator
Z645cesaras
May 10, 2025
A Tour Worth Taking Twice - Honestly, I’d do this tour again in a heartbeat. The pacing, the sights, and the people made it feel like a once-in-a-lifetime experience—only I hope it's not just once!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ashleyw447
May 5, 2025
A wonderful introduction to the Cathedral Valley section of Capitol Reef - My wife and I recently (4-15-25) did the full day Cathedral Valley tour with Mel as our guide. It was a great experience in every way; we agree with the favorable comments we read in many earlier reviews. It was evident that Mel really enjoys what he does, and he provided a lot of good information about what we were seeing. The scenery was spectacular, and we were so glad that we decided to do the tour. In fact, we hope to use Meridian again when we make a return trip to Capitol Reef. If you’re on the fence about whether to do a Capitol Reef tour with Meridian, we would say that you should definitely go for it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jessica_o
May 2, 2025
Solo travaler - Mel was absolutely the best. I felt very secure and very comfortable during the entire tour and the views were really breathtaking. Couldn’t even believe that everything was real. I was also really happy to see how respectful with this landscape Mel showed and his knowledge about geology it’s very impressive. I highly recommend this tour if you’re traveling with a sedan (4x4 can make it the roads are confusing) or even if you wanna dig deeper on this experience. Drone is highly recommended too, it’s gives you good shots of those beautiful and rare landscapes. I’ll come back to Bentonite Hills and I wish everybody could have the chance to see how perfect Mother Nature can be.
Review provided by Viator
370kiyak
Apr 25, 2025
Exceptional Tour Service! - Meridian Photography Tours exceeded all my expectations. The entire trip was organized with care and attention to detail. Our guide was fantastic—friendly, informative, and passionate about every place we visited. The itinerary struck the perfect balance between sightseeing and relaxation, and everything—from transport to accommodations—ran without a hitch. It was an unforgettable experience, and I wouldn’t hesitate to book with them again!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
769adrianaaparecidad
Apr 23, 2025
Outstanding Travel Experience! - I had an incredible journey thanks to this tour company. Everything was perfectly arranged—from the smooth booking process to the well-paced itinerary. The staff was friendly and professional, and our guide made the trip truly engaging with fun facts and local insights. Each destination was thoughtfully chosen, and I appreciated the balance between planned activities and free time. It felt like a seamless adventure from start to finish. I’ll definitely be traveling with them again and highly recommend their services to anyone looking for a stress-free, memorable getaway!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Randyh450
Apr 21, 2025
Great day with Mel - Mel was an excellent guide, and to top that, he is a fantastic person. He has great knowledge of the geology and history of the Torrey area, and knew how to time the different sites to minimize shadow interference for photography. He even came back on Sunday morning to fix a flat tire for us, which otherwise would have left us stranded and waste a whole day of our vacation. Highly recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $140
up to 8 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).