It’s Called Emerald, Not Because Of My Face After That Climb

We hike Zion’s Emerald Pools from lower to upper, compare the routes, and share realistic time estimates, views, and trail tips. Sudden rain, green water, and a few confusing junctions turn a short outing into a vivid tour of the canyon’s layers.

• lower, middle, and upper route options compared
• time and distance expectations for each segment
• Why the water looks green from algal growth
• navigating confusing junctions on the upper spur
• handling rain, wet rock, and changing conditions
• best views over the Virgin River valley
• choosing where to turn around based on effort and reward

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Transcript

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Setting Out In Zion

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hello there, this is Craig the Natural Medic. And I'm on my second hike of the day here in Zion National Park going to the Emerald Pools. There's three distinct different trails that go to the Emerald Pools. Not sure if there's multiple Emerald Pools or just one pool with many trails to it. We'll find out.

Choosing The Emerald Pool Routes

SPEAKER_00 0:24

The lower is the easiest, middle is a little harder, and the upper is the hardest. So we'll see what we can get into. Follow me. Beautiful view of the valley. Bridgeon River below. Gorgeous.

Reaching The Middle Pool

SPEAKER_00 0:44

I made it to the middle Emerald Pool. The upper was a little bit confusing. Look at that. Isn't that pretty? Who would have thunk that's in the desert? A nice little stream going down to the Emerald Pool here. This is a middle emerald pool. Not a bad hike. So far took about 30 minutes to get up here and about 1.3 miles. Here's another view of the middle emerald pools from the top up here when you're going towards the upper. And here is the pool itself. Whoa. Pretty cool. I would say it's not really emerald, but it is slightly green. Probably some algal growth. If you're enjoying the video, make sure to hit the thumbs up. That way it gets out to other people and helps me reach a bigger audience. Thanks.

Push To The Upper Pool

SPEAKER_00 1:41

This is the Emerald Pool. Upper. And there's a long way up. It's a long way up. Look at that. Whoa. Interesting. I guess just because of natural waterfall. It kind of fell down into this little deal. I didn't feel like it was too tough of a hike to get to the upper. You do pass by the other ones as well. And so far it's taken me about an hour.

Rain, Views, And Descent

SPEAKER_00 2:13

Alright, so this is looking out. And it's actually started raining. But what a beautiful view of the valley here at the park. Going to continue down the trail here, back to the middle pool, and then finally the lower pool. To get out of here. Hopefully in less than 30 minutes.

Lower Pool And Closing Notes

SPEAKER_00 2:30

We'll see. This is the lower Emerald Pool, which is about as big as the upper. Maybe bigger. I came back at a slightly different spot. You can see the sign behind me. It's a little bit to the north of where I crossed over originally. There's another bridge over there to the right, I believe. I don't see it. Anyway, this is a pretty cool trail. I hope you enjoyed it. If you did, give it a thumbs up. Think about subscribing to the channel for more great content. I appreciate you watching. If you have any comments or questions about Zion, leave them down below. Next time I'll see you on the trail. Bye bye.