Upper Emerald Pools - Kayenta Trail

Overview:
Upper Emerald Pools poses a bit more of a challenge than the Lower or Upper Pools with a 250 foot elevation gain in 1.5 miles. Once you reach the Middle Pools, the trail becomes quite a bit more rocky and steep; in fact, making it to the top is a bit more like scrambling or climbing than hiking. Despite this, I saw many children there, who apparently really enjoyed climbing to the Upper Pools. Another perk of visiting this destination is the views of Cathedral Mountain, Lady Mountain, and Red Arch Mountain.

Note: There is a park entrance fee of $25 to enter Zion National Park, and swimming is not allowed in the Lower, Middle, or Upper Emerald Pools.

Trailhead:

• From St. George


• Head north on the I-15


• Exit the freeway on exit 16 onto SR 9 East towards Hurricane/Zion National Park


• After 12.1 miles, take a right on SR 9, 500 N in LaVerkin


• Follow this road for 21 miles till you arrive at the entrance of Zion National Park


• From April to October, Park at the museum and the shuttle will take you to the Zion Lodge stop

GPS: 37.250714, -112.959553
Distance: 3 miles out and back
Difficulty: 2 until Upper Pools junction, 3 from junction to Upper Pools
Hike Time: 2 - 3 hours
Trail Condition: Well marked and well maintained
Season: Early Spring to late Fall

Detailed Description:
There are two routes to take to reach the Upper Emerald Pools: the trailhead at Zion Lodge, or the Kayenta trailhead at the Grotto shuttle station. This post will describe the Kayenta trail, since from the Zion Lodge, you take the Middle Emerald Pools trail to arrive at the Upper Pools. (See the Middle Emerald Pools description). The Kayenta Trail begins as a slight uphill trek up Mount Moroni, but then levels off as it enters the Canyon where the Emerald Pools are located. During the summer months, this trail can be hot and dry, so it's very important to take plenty of water and sunscreen with you. The Kayenta trail is relatively flat until the junction with the Emerald Pools trail. This junction is well-signed, and if you continue on up to the Upper Emerald Pools, that's where the trail becomes more of a climb. The Upper Emerald Pools is a very spectacular sight, and well worth the climb, but don't expect a solitary destination. There are a lot of tourists that visit this destination, especially so on free national park weekend, when I was there.

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