The hikes at Zion National Park run the gamut from the simple and flat River Walk to the harrowing journey to Angel’s Landing. The Emerald Pools are a series of three pools that fall somewhere in the middle. Depending on how far you go will determine how difficult the trail is, but it never gets so difficult that children cannot do it.
How to Get to the Emerald Pools
All three of the emerald pools are on the same trail. The trail head is across the road from the Zion Lodge. During the peak season at Zion National Park you cannot take cars into the canyon so you will need to use the shuttle to get to the Zion Lodge stop. From there cross the street and use the bridge to cross the river. Then you will be at the start of the trail.
From the trail head it is about half a mile to the lower pool, a mile to the middle pool, and a mile and a half to the upper pool.
Lower Emerald Pool
The trail to the lower emerald is mostly easy. Almost all of the elevation gain happens immediately. I wouldn’t call the trail accessible, but we did see a family take a stroller up it. We had Lucy in her hiking backpack.
It is an enjoyable hike ending at a small pool inside a rock alcove. The pool is formed by, what I would call a mistfall, that is actually coming from the Middle Emerald Pool directly above it. This makes this one of the most refreshing areas of the park on a hot summer day as it is in shade and you are constantly being misted from the water.
Middle Emerald Pool
Soak in the mist while you can if you plan to continue on, because it is about to get much hotter. You exit on the far side of the alcove to continue on to the Middle Emerald Pool. You begin to climb immediately and most of the hike is climbing a series of switchbacks to get directly above where you were.
The middle pool is the least impressive of the three, so I recommend only going to it if you are going to continue on to the upper pool. There are too little pools up here, but no mist, and you aren’t allowed to touch the water which makes for a hot time since the area is exposed to the sun.
By the time we got here Meagan and Lucy were too tired to continue on, so they found a little bit of shade under a small tree and stayed there until I got back from the upper pool.
Upper Emerald Pool
The hike to the Upper Emerald Pool is the most strenuous of the hikes. Most of it is over exposed ground. Keep a careful eye out for some beautiful flowers if you are here at the right time of the year. I would never have seen this flower if someone else hadn’t been taking a picture of it.
After hiking through the sun you will eventually reach an area in the shade of the canyon wall. What time you do the hike will determine how much of the time you are in the shade, but once you reach the shade you are fairly close to the end.
The last part of the trial requires some mild rock scrambling before you come out into the pool area. The upper pool is the larges pool, and since it is in the shade it is nice and cool. When you get there it feels like you have discovered a secret hideaway.
Sum Up
The hike to the Lower Emerald Pool is definitely worth doing, almost anyone can do it. Going to the Middle Emerald Pool should only be done if you intend to continue. The Upper Emerald Pool is coll but moderately difficult to reach. Between the lower and middle pools you can get off onto the Kayenta Trail which will take you to the Angel’s Landing area, but that is longer hike then starting from Zion Lodge.
There are bathrooms near the Zion Lodge bus stop and there is a restaurant and snack shop at the lodge.
