Emerald Pools

Pretty easy hike but it was agonizing for my six yr old on a hot, dry, bright and sunny summer day. If visiting in the summer, be sure to bring along a hydration pack and sunscreen. If bringing little ones in a stroller, it is good to have a canopy that protects well from the sun. Be prepared to pull over pretty often to the side to let other hikers pass if you are pushing one of those big bulky strollers on a day!

This review is for the Upper Emerald Pool Trail in the Winter…
This was a very easy hike that continually rewarded you with spectacular views! It took us about an hour roundtrip and we stopped along the way multiple times to take photos.
We started at The Grotto and took Kayenta Trail to the Middle Pools. From there, we took the Upper Emerald Pool Trail to our final stop. At times the trail was a bit steep and icy, but it didn’t seem to slow us down too much. The trail ended at the Upper Emerald Pool at the base of a cliff which was frozen over. It was fun to walk out over the frozen pool and take pictures. There wasn’t a waterfall, just a trickle from the snow melt.
This hike is great for everyone! (Especially if you’re short on time!)

Nice short hike. We went near sunset during the winter season. There was plenty of deer at the beginning of the trail hanging out in the river creek. Trails were icy at parts and I had a couple near falls and did have one friend slip and fall on his butt. When we went (early Jan), the lower part of Emerald Pool trail was closed due to ice and unfortunately didn’t make it to the pools. Upper part of Emerald pools was also closed. However, we were able to see pretty large icicles and we got a good laugh when our friend fell.
Crampons might have been excessive for this hike. A walking stick might be helpful to prevent you from falling. During our hike, a family we met told us to be careful as we got progressed during the hike. They said each of their family members has fallen already lol. Also bring flashlights if you hike near sunset as by the time we got back to trailhead, it was completely dark.

Such a beautiful hike. Only did half way because we were loosing sunlight can’t wait to go back.

One of the must do trails at Zion is Emerald Pools. There are actually 3 trails here — Lower, Middle and Upper Emerald Pools. You can choose to do one or all of them — we did all of them. The trail starts pretty flat but as you move to the Middle and Upper Emerald Pool trail it gets steeper. At some point, you’ll also have to climb rocks here and there. Each trail has its own «pool». I recommend going during wetter season as you can see more water and waterfalls. The view while hiking is stunning like at almost every Zion trail. This trail is quite popular so it might get a bit crowded. It took us about 1 hour one way which wasn’t bad since we stopped to take photos here and there.
I rate this a fairly easy hike but its fun.

Exit the shuttle at the Lodge, as the trailhead is across the street. There are restrooms, a water filling station, & a snack bar available at this location. The trail to the lower pool is easy and there are some pretty amazing views of the canyon. After you pass the lower pool, there is a series of steep steps and then a less smooth trail to the middle pool, here the views get even better. Don’t stop. The walk the from the middle to the upper the pool is not significantly harder, but the upper pool IS significantly more beautiful. Once you arrive, there are a lot of nice rocks on which to rest and enjoy the scenery and a snack.
It’s not my favorite at Zion, but it’s a good hike if you don’t have enough time to do one of the longer ones. It’s also a good trail for kids. But it’s pretty crowded, so be patient and try to yield to up-​going hikers/​walkers, especially at the narrow steps.

Definitely better to go during the wetter months to see the actual waterfalls. The hike was pretty easy with occasional rocky areas that can get crowded with two-​way traffic.
There are three «pools» or water spots along the hike but of course the best one is the last one which is the only thing that makes this hike worth it. It’s a shaded serene pool surrounded by boulders. It’s a nice spot to take a break and eat and lunch before heading unto another part of the park (our group ate our sandwiches here before heading off to the narrows).

Went no further than the first pool and that was enough. It pretty and there is a little waterfall you can walk under. I didn’t feel any need to go further. Up to this point it’s not an especially difficult hike but it was hot and the altitude is fairly high. So past that would have been a strain.

Hike lower, middle, upper pools round trip is about 3 miles. Very very easy hike. Probably hike this on your first half day or leisurely on your last day. It’s by no means strenuous.
The pools were more of puddles for us. They should call it Emeralds Puddle. It’s still summer like weather and the water level and waterfall wasn’t big. Mostly dripping. The upper pool didn’t have a waterfall and water levels were low. I bet you if you came here in the winter it’ll have higher water levels. We weren’t really impressed by the pools/​puddles and supposedly «waterfall». It was cool but if you skip it, it’s no biggie.
The hike is nice, nice views at times and can get packed. It’s a nice short hike for warm up for the harder ones.

Zion continues to take me away…
Exploring this park has become so much fun. I never realized how many extraordinary opportunities there are here and checking them out with my mom brings me great joy. I’m also realizing I do in fact have some outdoorsyness in me! Who knew???
This trail is considered easy and I agree which was a nice change from attempting to take on Angels Landing on our last visit. I’m still recovering from that one!
The road is paved and the scenery is spectacular at every turn. If this isn’t the norm for you, you’ll probably find yourself taking pics every few steps.
Reaching the first pool you’ll immediately start to feel a cool breeze and wow did that feel amazing! It was hot and the feeling of cool drizzles starting to reach you felt unbelievable!
The trail is designed to step right under the little waterfall and I could have been there for hours.
There are two more pools to see after the first one along with more waterfalls but we were pretty tired from the day of activities from the day before so we are already planning on going back to see the rest of them on the next trip.
Being outside and getting your exercise on in nature has really become one of my favorite things to do and Zion continues to amaze me. The sites are breathtaking and one of my favorite things to see is how the colors of the canyon change throughout the day.

Not exactly emerald, but a superb hike and spectacular views. The first two pools are fare easier to reach than the last but a wonderful photo taking opportunity. No swimming but lots to see and experience.

This is a pretty easy set of hikes with decent coverage from the overbearing afternoon sun. It’s a nice complement to a shorter and tougher hike. Do the hard one in the morning before the sun gets too high up in the sky. Then do this one to wind down. Scenic factor isn’t that high but still worth an excursion.

The trailhead for the lower emerald pools trail is across the street from the Lodge. Most of it is fairly easy — paved trails with slight inclines and declines that end at a small water fall and leads to a path to the upper pools. There’s also a path that leads to the Grotto trail and it’s trailhead near the bus stop.

Suzie Q’s Fun Facts:
There are three «tiers» to the Emerald Pools hike at Zion. Stick to the lower pool for an easy, relaxing hike… keep hiking to the middle pool for a slightly more rigorous hike… and persist to the upper pool for a «grand finale,» requiring a little more exertion.
Lower Pool: .6 miles one-​way. 30 minutes. 69′ ascent.
Middle Pools: 1 mile one-​way. 1 hour. 150′ ascent.
Upper Pool: 1.5 miles one-​way. 1.5 hour. 350′ ascent.
=≅≅≅≅≅≅≅≅≅≅~
The Emerald Pools hike at Zion offers some of the best bang for your buck in the park. Its ratio of beautiful sights and photo ops versus level of effort is pretty darn good.
My friends and I hiked all the way to the Upper Pool, and I’m glad we did. Each tier of the hike offered its own, unique viewpoints and photo opportunities. Though stopping at the lower level would have probably been fine, considering the scenery is (arguably) the best there.
Compared to some of the other, much more rigorous and longer hikes in Zion, this one is much more accessible and an excellent choice for people of every age and level of physical activity.

The view for the top is amazing! The Emerald pools hike is realtively easy for the first section most of the trail is paved or graded so it can be wheel chair accessible. There are some steeper inclines that can make it difficult but with greater effort one should be able to push a wheel chair if needed. Once you get to the first pool the trail can get a little muddy depending how much water is flowing over the rock face.
If you continue up to the second stage the trail is unpassable with a chair. However if you are able to walk the trail it will bring through some really cool and narrow passages up to the second pool which will give an amzaing view of the valley below. Being several feet above the tree line at this stage you can also have a nice view of the Zion NP Lodge and also over look the Weeping Rock and Observation point trailhead.
Keep pressing on and you will get to the third stage of the Emerald Pools which can be impressive depending on the time of year. In the late winter or early spring water will be coming out of the Sandstone and carry down through to the rest of the pools.
This is one of my favorite hikes in Zion NP. Hope you enjoy!

The Emerald Pools trail is across from Zion Lodge.
The hike to the lower pools is easy as it is paved and then it goes moderate and rocky for the middle and upper pools. Three pools, 1 trail– You go back the same way you came. There’s signs along the way to show you which way to what and signs for you to stay on the trail if you’re somewhere you shouldn’t be.
If you’re looking for something on the easy side– this would be it. We saw a lot of nice views but the water features weren’t crazy impressive when we went. (March 2015).
Nice easy hike. It’s not a long hike nor strenuous and that’s why we opted to do it. At the same time, I wouldn’t feel like I missed out if I didn’t hit this trail but it’s short and easy. why not?

Easy 1 mile hike to pools.
This isn’t one of my favorite Zion hikes but it is easy and the free shuttle drops you off at the trailhead. We did the hike took a few pictures and headed back to the shuttle. It isn’t a must see if you are short on time but it’s a nice little hike if you don’t want to do anything strenuous.

We were very lucky to be in Zion the morning after a light snowfall, which not only transformed the park into a winter fairyland but also gave life to the falls here at Emerald Pools. I imagine that on a hot, dry day this hike could be far less scenic, as well as far more crowded. For us, though, it was magical – very few people, snow still clinging to every branch, and the falls sparkling in the low winter sun.
Although the trail is very easy to the lower pools, it is not that much more of an effort to get to the Middle Pools, and definitely worth it, as the views from this point are gorgeous. Keep an eye on your kids, though; this is actually the most deadly area in the park – a fact that truly boggles the mind after one has seen the Angels Landing trail!

Not impressed! Sorry Zion, this is not one of your better sights. But the hike is easy (although the white sand reflecting off the hot sun is pretty painful) so it’s family friendly. The problem with the pools is that they look so inviting on a hot day that everyone let’s their kids splash around in them, but this is what’s causing the pools to lose their emerald color. The ranger told us that the Emerald Pools are green due to the algae that live in the water, but exposure if oils & sunblock (from humans!) kills the algae & leaves the water brown & ugly. So please, respect nature and it’s inhabitants and save your splish splash time for the hotel pool!

Definitely an easy hike. Nice walk, about .6 miles to reach the first pool. It was kind of dry when I went this past weekend so the waterfall wasn’t that pretty or strong. The views on your hike up is amazing though! I was so amazed by the scenery I wanted to take a picture everywhere!
You can wear regular shoes on this hike. Nothing extreme needed. Apply sunblock though! It gets hot and even though there may be shade I still felt the sun beating me! Didn’t get to finish the hike, but read that it’s not much more to see after the first pool anyway. I probably would come back to emerald pool if I was looking for another easy hike. But I would probably save my day and time for a more fun hike next time! :)