The Emerald Pools are three small pools strung at different heights up the west wall of Zion Canyon, fed by seasonal waterfalls that drip and trickle off the cliff face above. The lower pool is reached by an easy 1.2-mile round-trip walk from the Zion Lodge shuttle stop; the middle and upper pools are progressively more strenuous but still doable in two or three hours.
The walls of the cliff are stained green by algae and dripping ferns. The pools themselves are small and not for swimming, but the alcoves are cool, the spray is welcome on a hot afternoon, and the upper-pool basin sits under a 100-metre overhanging cliff. Avoid in the middle of the day in summer when shade is at a premium.