Middle Emerald Pool

The Middle Pool is the second stop on Zion Canyon's Emerald Pools Trail, reached by a wide, easy path that climbs about 150 feet over roughly a mile round trip from the trailhead.

Getting there and what you'll see

• The trailhead is across from Zion Lodge at shuttle stop 5 — from May through October, the shuttle is the only way in, since private vehicles aren't permitted in the main canyon during that season.
• The Middle Pool sits in an open, slickrock-rimmed area where seasonal streams trickle down from above, feeding the waterfall that drops toward the Lower Pool.
• Flow varies a lot by season — the falls can slow to a trickle by late summer, while spring runoff makes for a fuller display.
• Swimming is discouraged throughout the Emerald Pools system; the park considers it a fragile ecosystem and an important water source for canyon wildlife.