The Emerald Pools trail is an easy to strenuous day hike in Zion National Park, located in southwestern Utah, near the town of Springdale.http://www.nps.gov/archive/zion/WalksAndHikesPages/EmeraldPools.htm The trail, which is 3 miles long if one hikes the full round trip, travels past three separate pools of water: the lower, middle, and upper Emerald Pools. http://www.utah.com/nationalparks/zion/emerald_pools.htm With the three pools set at separate points along the trail, hikers can choose to hike just a portion of the trail or hike it all, choosing between an easy, moderate, or strenuous hike.http://www.utah.com/nationalparks/zion/emerald_pools.htm Peak elevation at the upper pool is 2,625 feet, with a total elevation gain of 350 feet.http://www.protrails.com/trail.php?trailID=175

The Emerald Pools got their name because of the color of the water, tinged green by the algae that grows within them.http://www.protrails.com/trail.php?trailID=175 The three pools are connected to each other and were formed by the movement of water through the surrounding sandstone.http://www.protrails.com/trail.php?trailID=175 Work on the Emerald Pools trail was completed in 1925.http://www.zionnational-park.com/zion-emerald-pools-trail.htm

The trailhead for all three pools is located at the Zion Lodge.http://www.nps.gov/zion/planyourvisit/hiking-in-zion.htm The Zion Lodge can be reached via park shuttle from April to November each year, and by car during the other months.http://www.nps.gov/zion/planyourvisit/zion-shuttle-system.htm

• Lower Emerald Pool: Across the road from the Zion Lodge, hikers cross a short footbridge over the Virgin River to the start of the actual trails.http://www.citrusmilo.com/zionguide/emeraldpools.cfm A right turn takes hikers on an easy, semi-paved trail the half mile to the Lower Emerald Pool. A left turn takes hikers upward to the Middle Emerald Pool; however, the middle pool is also accessible along the lower pool trail.http://www.utah.com/nationalparks/zion/emerald_pools.htm The Lower Emerald Pool is located at the base of a cliff, fed by a small waterfall from the middle pool.http://www.utah.com/nationalparks/zion/emerald_pools.htm
• Middle Emerald Pool: Hikers wishing to continue along the trail can reach the middle pool by hiking behind the waterfall and climbing a somewhat steep ridge that takes them above the waterfall.http://www.utah.com/nationalparks/zion/emerald_pools.htm Alternate routes to this trail include the trailhead just after the footbridge and the Kayenta Trail from the Grotto trailhead.http://www.utah.com/nationalparks/zion/emerald_pools.htm
• Upper Emerald Pool: For those wishing to complete the full hike, the upper pool can be accessed by continuing on from the middle pool. Here, the trail becomes more steep, rugged, and sandy.http://www.utah.com/nationalparks/zion/emerald_pools.htm There several instances of steep drop-offs on this portion of the trail, and these have resulted in deaths.http://www.nps.gov/zion/forteachers/self-guided-hikes.htm At the end of this trail, hikers find a large pool of water at the base of a sheer cliff. No swimming is allowed in this pool, due to its detrimental effect on plant and animal life.http://www.utah.com/nationalparks/zion/emerald_pools.htm http://www.nps.gov/zion/planyourvisit/hiking-in-zion.htm Hikers leaving the upper pool hike back down the same trail to the middle pool. From there, they can choose one of the three middle pool options for the remainder of the return trip.