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    Emerald Pools

    4.2 (93 reviews)

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    Cindy W.

    The hike was enjoyable, offering different landscapes at various turns. All three pools begin from the same trail called Kayenta. About 2 miles in, you will come across the Lower Pool first. If you continue for another 0.2 miles, you will reach the Middle Pool. From there, it takes an additional 0.8 miles to reach the Upper Pool, but the effort is totally worth it! Plan to spend about 2 hours for the round trip hike.

    Emerald Pools hike - start!
    Amanda L.

    Emerald Pools is a truly beautiful hike, on the easier side, but with some seriously impressive sights! Emerald Pools is also definitely a misnomer though, at least during the time of year I came here (end of March) as there was nothing "emerald" around! Still loved it tons and because it had been snowing all morning - basically only stopping once we got to Zion - we definitely busted out our traction devices about halfway through the hike as the melting snow was making things slushy and a bit slippery. We turned around at the Lower Falls, which already gives you a great view of the falls and the trail continues on BEHIND the falls and onwards to the Upper Falls area. We didn't hike to the Upper, which I don't think shows you any new falls, just a different vantage point so no regrets there over missing it! Overall, about 1.5 miles out and back and by the time we were hiking back, the sun was starting to peek through so it was like an entirely different set of views on the way back - so lovely and highly recommend for all skill levels!

    Juanwen C.

    It's one of the fun hikes in Zion. Quiet easy, perfect for family and photoshoots. We went to both lower pools and the higher one. It was so peaceful, and fun. Highly recommend it.

    Kristen B.

    Another trail at Zion! So this one has the same starting point as angels landing (which you need a permit for) but this one you go left and angels landing you go right. The trail was semi hard with lots of climbing but not too too intense, but not flat either. The only thing I didn't love is that the waterfalls and pools were dried up. I'm guessing there needs to have been more rain before to see them but we didn't really see much. The photo I added is just a puddle on the trail. I was slightly disappointed In the no waterfall part, so it wasn't my favorite trail, it was a bit underwhelming but the nature was still nice and we saw lots of deer!

    An amazing moderate level ranked hike. There are three tiers of the pool to visit. It would probably be best to go early since it is very popular and the trail gets pretty crowded later in the day.

    View
    Jeffrey S.

    All of my many many trips to Zion, and I'm embarrassed to admit that I had never done the hike to Emerald Pools until last month. It's hard to explain why. Oh, it was closed on one trip, and then it was always the wrong shuttle stop, or I dunno, I guess I don't really have a great excuse. On my trip last month, however, I was able to carve out the time and make the hike. Emerald Pools is most commonly accessed from the Zion Lodge shuttle stop, but we actually came at it from The Grotto on what is officially called the Kayenta Trail. Doing so means that you'll have some excellent down-canyon views that you might not otherwise see, but it does take a little bit longer and the hike is largely through exposed hillside. Because the pools themselves nestle right into the upper neck of a canyon, you get some shade from the steep walls, but approaching from The Grotto means you'll need to be more conscious of the weather. We ambled along until reaching a fork at a massive boulder. This is where the shortest trail from the Zion Lodge trailhead comes in to meet you. We continued upward to what we thought was the upper pool, but it turns out it was just a middle pool (?) and there's another fork that takes you up to a trail that will deliver you upwards to the dead end top of the canyon and the big upper pool. The lower pool is more tricky. If you're on the upper pool spur, you'll need to go back to that boulder and take the lower trail. We turned west at the end of the fork, and though we were just above the pool, that upper trail hugs the ridgeline, gradually drops you back down to the Virgin River where you'll backtrack a bit to the bridge and then go to the Lodge. This upper trail parallels the lower trail and though you think you could hop from one to the other, you need to realize that you're separated by a hundred feet-maybe two--of unpassable sheer dropoff. Some maps don't even show this upper trail, and the ones that do draw the upper and lower very close together, though they're on entirely different elevations. I would have liked to have seen the lower pool, but the bonus about taking that upper trail that overshoots the bridge and takes you back to the river and then the Lodge, is that there was hardly a soul on the trail. It was spring break while I was there and things were packed, so on that upper spur especially, foot traffic would be one way for a while and you'd have to wait for passing hikers. But on that last upper bit, we had it mostly to ourselves. The pools are lovely little oases. The present of water coming off of the cliffs to form pools and little falls is something of a revelation that blows your mind. With steep cliffs and shade and running water, this trail delivers some real gems.

    Snow
    Alex D.

    -For Lower Emerald Pool trail- Accessibility: this trail is normally labeled as wheelchair accessible but right now (December 18, 2021) IT IS NOT WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE OR ACCESSIBLE AT ALL. THE ENTIRE TRAIL IS COVERED IN ICE. Experience: well, the entire trail is covered in ice right now so it was SLIPPERY and what normally takes 30 minutes or less for someone to hike, took me 3 hours. A person in a wheelchair could absolutely not go on this trail right now because of the ice, or anyone that is scared of falling. I had a lot of fun on the trail going super super slow with my girlfriend, but tons of people fell right in front of us, and one young man almost slid off a (short) cliff...it was scary. Anyway, try this trail in Spring or Summer.

    About 1/2 way there along the paved trail
    Steven B.

    One of the more scenic and easy hikes at Zion National Park provides so many photo ops and just a peaceful hikes. You can hike to lower emerald pools or upper. The hike to the lower pools is .6 miles and even a beginner with no experience can manage it. We took a ton of photos. This and Riverside Walk are two hikes everyone should do.

    Greg F.

    Good easy trail for novice hikers. Good for kids. The waterfall part at the end moved slow, but really nice view. I was concerned it would be completely dry, but i read something at the park that said it always has at least a little flow.

    Love the vegetation and the views!
    Lane T.

    TRAILHEAD With its trailhead located directly across from Zion Lodge - off of Scenic Drive in Zion National Park (NP) - my partner and I chose to hike middle to upper to lower Emerald Pools Trails on a cold, drizzly December afternoon after a lite lunch and recoup/dry out session in our lodge room following an earlier hike. BE-DRIZZLED VIEWS Unsure of how rewarding the hike would be, we felt assured pretty quickly into our steep ascent up Middle Emerald pools trial - with beautifully be-drizzled mountain views to our right, our left, in front, oh yea...and behind! SQUISHY SQUISHY Thankful to have refreshed ourselves to find the needed energy for this hike, we climbed, climbed, climbed and squished, squished, squelched though sludgy portions of Middle Emerald Pools trail. STEEP AND FUN While Middle and Upper trails were quite steep, the hike was still fun - gaining new perspective at every turn and with every bit of elevation gained. We hardly noticed the work we were putting in over the excitement of seeing what was next! SOCIAL DISTANCE A major perk of our dreary, first-time, December hike of this trail was that the "yucky" weather and sloppy trail conditions seemed to have deterred a number of people giving us soooo much social distance from other hikers it was alarmingly delightful...especially in a park as popular as Zion! CARPE DIEM We sucked the goodness out of every moment to the point that we finished the final quarter mile of trail in the dark (always smart to have a headlamp along;))! I'm thankful to have a partner who shares a carpe diem philosophy - never knowing when an opportunity could be our last and trying to make the most of each adventure!

    From the base of upper emerald
    Devin F.

    If you're unable to complete Angels Landing then this is a great alternative for a midafternoon hike. The Upper Emerald Hike is the better of the two and a great place to stop for a picnic

    Dianna S.

    What a beautiful hike! It was definitely more of a strenuous hike than The Narrows at Zion National Park but the kids loved going around the bends and not being sure what is around the corner whether a slot canyon, some stairs or shaded woods. Our 4 year old made it like a champ with lots of lollipop breaks. We decided to only do the middle Emerald Pools due to the kiddos needing to go to the bathroom pretty badly but we all agreed afterwards, that it was really cool to see a waterfall in nature and also get splashed on it as we hike behind it! Look closely in our pictures and you can see the waterfall - and when you bend over the railing you can actually get splashed and cooled down a bit! It's so awesome and one we would definitely do again!

    Beginning of trail (across the street from the shuttle stop)
    Jeanette Y.

    First Timer Review (COVID times): we arrived to the park a little late & boarded the shuttle around 3:50pm. This is stop #5. According to several blogs, it takes 1 hour round trip just with the Lower Emerald Pool but honestly, we were able to do the LOWER & MIDDLE (& back to the shuttle) with a little over an hour timeframe. Hiking Difficulty: 3/5 - it was a nice stroll to the Lower Emerald Pool & was not difficult at all. 15 minutes & we got there. Since it was all shade, we didn't really need any breaks. After our pictures, we decided to walk to the middle pool - that is an extra 0.4 miles but that part was what made it a little difficult. It was an even stairs up so definitely had deeper breathing & a little burn in the thighs. Luckily it wasn't too long. Views: definitely breathtaking views all around especially the colors & pool reflection from the middle pool. Because of the timing & pretty easy effort, I would say that this was worth it. Easy to squeeze it. OVERALL: if you have the time, I would say do it. But don't go out of your way or sacrifice The Narrows or Angel's Landing to do this, unless you want something easy or have little children with you.

    Nice fall colors on the trees

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    Views: definitely breathtaking views all around especially the colors & pool reflection from the middle pool.

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    Observation Point

    Observation Point

    4.8(53 reviews)
    1.5 mi

    This is a unique hike to an INCREDIBLE view. I saw online people saying this is the actual best…read moreview in Zion and honestly, it is indeed one of the grandest - even more so than Angel's landing. Of note, the trail changes from roc/dirt to sand and the day I came it was chilly and SO windy, especially by the viewpoint. My allergies were absolutely killing me and I had to put on my sunglasses at the viewpoint because of how much I was tearing up with the wind and sand/dust. Nevertheless though the view was totally clear and absolutely breathtaking! I also loved the little stretch to get to the viewpoint where you can see some vistas in the distance, and feel like your kind of walking through a desert field (that's how I felt anyway). Bear in mind how CRAP the roads are to get to the trailhead (observation point/east Mesa trailhead). I 100% recommend either going in a high clearance vehicle or using the $8 per person Zion ponderosa shuttle because these are some of the worst roads I have ever seen (I took the shuttle). I was driving a rented Nissan Sentra on this trip and I have zero question I would have been sweating bullets or just trapped in a pothole ditch if I had tried to drive the car out. And if it's been raining, the 1-1.5 foot deep potholes become a mud slick - I wouldn't even try coming out at all if that's the case.

    The overlook point fr9m Zion National Park in Utah is a natural marvel…read more From the winding road across the mountains to the tunnel until you reach the summit point for a 1.5-mile hike you'll definitely love the views.

    Photos
    Observation Point
    Observation Point
    Observation Point

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    The Narrows - Sept 2023 -  Squirlo posing for his photo shoot   :D

    The Narrows

    4.9(126 reviews)
    3.4 mi

    So full disclosure I did the river walk out to the start of the narrows. And while I KNOW this full…read morehike is a stunner I opted not to go farther than a short wade in up to my knees because I did not want to get wet!! I asked some folks going in about their waders; most people get them from Zion outfitters and I was told they're about $60 per person to rent (most including at least one, if not two walking sticks to help you keep your balance). I was also told they don't keep you fully dry, water still gets in but they do help keep you warm. If you go far enough in, the water comes up to your chest (assuming you're average height). Plan accordingly with your bag(s) etc. This hike is as long as you want it to be, the whole thing is the "view" within one of the deepest and most iconic slot canyons in the state - carved by the Virgin River itself that you're walking in. You can go up to 8-10 miles but most folks don't go that far before turning back. Even just the river walk out to the start of the river is really lovely though. One day I'll come out and hike beyond knee-deep :)

    The Narrows is the most unique hike I've done. You hike in water that can go deep up to your waist…read morein the Virgin River. We rented dry bibs and boots from Zion Outfitter, which didn't keep us dry, but they were supposed to. It was fun struggling against the current with our walking sticks for support, and the first section was sunny and warm, but it became more shady and cold the farther we trekked into the canyon. The water was very cold in March, so renting gear is highly recommended. We just hiked to Wall Street and back, which is the recommended route, as well as a side path, for about a total of 8.5 miles.

    Photos
    The Narrows - My poor walking stick at the end of the journey!

    My poor walking stick at the end of the journey!

    The Narrows - Meet Squirlo...the cutest and friendliest animal here. He walks up to you like you're his buddy.  :)

    Meet Squirlo...the cutest and friendliest animal here. He walks up to you like you're his buddy. :)

    The Narrows

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    Hidden Canyon - Do you see these chains?

    Hidden Canyon

    4.4(12 reviews)
    3.5 mi

    On the way back from the Observation Point, 8 miles and 2,000 feet elevation wasn't enough to…read moresatisfy me, decided to go for hidden canyon hike. Starting point is the same as the observation point, instead of going left, go right at the sign and start going up the switch backs. It looks like a lot of switch backs from the top but compared to angels landing, not bad at all. Started this hike without any prior knowledge, I was surprised with lots of chains. I put my hiking poles away and put my gloves on. Trail is wide enough for two people to go by, some parts may be narrow that may require some wait for others to pass by. Once you finish the chain area, you go through some obstacles like small rock climbing or balancing on woods. Hidden canyon was cool, at the end of trail, you will find naturally made arch. It wasn't much to see but walking on canyons was pretty nice.

    I would classify this as a "baby" Angel's Landing. I'm not a super athletic or in shape person by…read moreany means, so it took me about 2.5 hours, give or take, to do it round trip. The hardest part for me, in terms of endurance, were the initial switchbacks where they just go up and up and up. Then the rest is mostly just convincing yourself that heights really aren't that bad as you use chains to aid your way across. 4 stars because the view at the end of it all was a littttlleee underwhelming, but, as Miley Cyrus says, "it's all about the climb." I've heard that Observation Point (you start on the same trail and then make a choice at some point in which one you want to continue with) was incredibly beautiful, but we unfortunately felt like we didn't have enough time before sundown.

    Photos
    Hidden Canyon - View from around 3/4th of the way up!

    View from around 3/4th of the way up!

    Hidden Canyon - Chain right before entering the hidden canyon

    Chain right before entering the hidden canyon

    Hidden Canyon

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    Many Pools Trail - Stopping for lunch at 6008 feet!

    Many Pools Trail

    4.5(2 reviews)
    3.9 mi

    It was a bit hard to locate the trailhead, but so happy we didn't give up wandering in circles &…read morewere able to run into people who pointed us in the right direction, because it was gorgeous & fun! When parking at the main lot, where GPS "Many Pools Trailhead" will bring you to, stand facing the bathrooms, with the larger river on your right. Then head all the way to the left, down the hill towards the woods. You'll be able to see a small trail in the sand headed down the hill around the left, almost seemingly under the road...that's it! The trail leads through the wooded area, through a tunnel (easy to navigate despite having ample water), and into a clearing where you being to hike up flat rocks, seeing the pools as you ascend to the top. We thought the pools were fascinating, as they had various shapes, depths, and the occasional waterfall. Would say this is a moderate hike, because of the incline, timing is based solely on how long you'd want to wander around each section- we also explored the river section opposite the trail if you go right from the parking lot down to the "beach area"

    This might just be my fave hike that we did during our whole trip to Zion! It's quite an adventure…read more- made me feel like a true explorer!! You'll be walking in dry creek beds and scrambling up dry, smooth waterfalls with chains of little pools (some really deep!) spilling down the mountains- and lots of rock scrambling up the mountains too- very similar to Angels Landing, but without the chains and maybe not quite as steep or dangerous for the most part. You start out going down the steep hill from the parking lot down into the Clear Creek bed and follow that until you get to the cool tunnel that takes you under highway 9. That's when you get into the Pine Creek bed that you'll pretty much follow the whole way. We definitely needed our poles and proper hiking boots. The rocks are smooth, slanted greatly in lots of places, and slick. This trail is definitely NOT for beginners - it's moderate in places and pretty strenuous in others. We made it up over 6000 feet as well! The trail isn't marked at all - very unclear - you'll really be dependent on a trail map - and it's not on the National Parks website or their maps! I think they like to keep it a secret lol. Luckily I had downloaded the trail map on the AllTrails app or we wouldn't never been able to do the whole trail. I highly recommend you do the same - and be sure to do it before you come into the park Bc we had ZERO signal most of the time. It's very much a hidden gem - we didn't see another soul and had the whole hike to ourselves! That being said, I would strongly recommend you don't hike this alone and bring bear spray and take all back country trail safety precautions. Parking is in a small lot not too long after the Mt Carmel tunnel (the big, main tunnel) and it'll be on your right. It has a tiny little building in it with a green roof which is the bathrooms yay!! They were fairly clean and well maintained but hardly had any TP so you may wanna bring some just in case.

    Photos
    Many Pools Trail - Some of the many pools!

    Some of the many pools!

    Many Pools Trail - Mountain Chickadee on the trail!

    Mountain Chickadee on the trail!

    Many Pools Trail - Views of some of the many pools from the trail

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    Views of some of the many pools from the trail

    Emerald Pools - hiking - Updated May 2026

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