Emerald Pools at Zion National Park - a fun family hike

I can't help but write more on Zion National Park in Utah.  If you have ever been there you can understand how I could write 100 posts about the NP and still not cover it all.  

Recently, we had family come to visit us here in Utah.  We all rented a time share in St. George and made a couple of trips to Zion NP.  With 8 young children total - 4 mine and 4 theirs - the hiking was wild to say the least.

While my husband and I and my brother-in-law tackled the trail to the Emerald Pools, my mother and sister-in-law and my two older children hiked from The Grotto on the Kayenta Trail to meet us at the Lower Emerald Pool.


Children seemed to be darting in every direction and on every rock and tree root.  The family from Florida had never been anywhere like this so the kids enjoyed every possible adventure on this trail.

I kept a watchful eye for mountain lions and snakes as well as attempted to keep a head count.

This was a great trail for families.  The kids have to be kept close and on the trail but there are not too many ledges and small cliffs that I couldn't bring the entire crew.

The trail begins with a beautiful bridge over the Virgin River.

The views of the canyon are stunning from the bridge.

The kids played in the small waterfall above the Emerald Pools

Gabriel slipped and fell on the wet rocks.

The Lower Emerald Pools

We arrived at the Emerald Pools and the kids enjoyed the small waterfall to play in.

The rest of the family met up with us here and we all hiked back to the car together near the Zion Lodge.

                                                   

                                                                When little legs get tired - hop on pop!

Cody joined us for the hike back.

We made it back at sunset.  To our surprise a small deer was wading through the Virgin River by the bridge.