Emerald Pools Hike (Zion NP)
Emerald Pools Hike (Zion NP)
This is an introductory hike to this amazing wild park. It’ll give you an idea about the dramatic landscape here and how tough the terrain is…so lets begin!
This hike is a combination of 2 different trails that will take you to these majestic pools while passing along seasonal waterfalls along the way. The first hike is the easy 0.6mi Lower Emerald Pool trail which will then be combined with the moderately strenuous 0.5mi Upper Emerald Pool trail.
Entering the park from its main entrance near Springdale, UT, you’ll start driving along the Zion Canyon scenic drive. Take your time driving this scenic road as you are now entering the bottom of a massive canyon carved by the mighty forces of nature. Almost halfway through the drive, you’ll reach the Emerald Pools area where you’ll park your car and start your adventure (click to request info).
From the parking lot, you’ll start your hike by crossing the river and hike along the sheer rocky cliffs of Zion canyon. The rock formations are dramatic and, depending on the season, there will be small waterfalls all along the way dripping above your head…so prepare to get wet:)
After crossing the river, the trail will start travelling uphill, but it is not steep, and as you hike along the cliffs, some sections will become very narrow. Here you’ll get a real feeling of how small humans are when standing next to these massive cliffs…its is an amazingly humbling feeling.
After about 0.4 miles, you’ll hike up some stairs that will lead you to the Lower Emerald Pools.
If you are here in late spring when the snow has melted, the pools will be full and deep, I was there in early spring so they weren’t that full as some of the snow has not melted yet.
However, standing at these pools surrounded by the massive rocky cliffs is a scene to remember.
From here, you’ll turn left and merge with the Upper Emerald Pool trail. It gets tougher from here as the trail will start going uphill.
As you hike along this trail, you’ll get closer and closer to the cliffs and the small waterfalls will continue dripping above you so be careful…it can be slippery.
Finally, reaching the upper pools signals the end of the trail and the views around you will be breathtaking.
The entire hike should take maximum 45 minutes, so its time to retrace your steps back along the Upper Emerald Pool trail, but at the junction with the Lower Pools trail don’t head back as this will be the start of the famously crazy Angel’s Landing hike…so get ready:)
