The Ultimate Southwest Vacation includes Zion National Park, Utah!
Stay in Mount Carmel Junction, the heart of the parks, and
visit the treasures of the Southwest.
Zion Park 12 miles
Grand Staircase 9 miles
Sand Dunes 11 miles
Dixie Forest 22 miles
Cedar Breaks 45 miles
Red Canyon 47 miles
Coyote Butte 57 miles
Bryce Canyon 60 miles
North Rim 85 miles
Toroweap 90 miles
Plan your Zion National Park Vacation with our Utah Maps and
Information
In these pages you will find insiders information on Zion National
Park lodging, adventures and hikes. This detailed guide includes road maps, park
maps, pictures, trail beta, backpacking, history, fees, geology, flora, fauna,
campgrounds, things for kids to do and even information on Zion's hidden treasures.
Making summer memories in the Utah National Parks and National
Monuments.
Directions to Zion National Park From Salt Lake City: Travel I-15 south, past Beaver.
Exit on Hwy 20. Follow US-89 to Mount Carmel Junction. Take U-9 to Zion's east
entrance. From Arizona: Travel 89A through Fredonia, Arizona
and Kanab Utah. Follow US-89 to to Mount Carmel Junction. Take U-9 to the east
park entrance. From Las Vegas: Travel I-15 north. Take exit 16 and
travel through Hurricane. Make a right on U-9 at the second traffic light in
LaVerkin. Continue on U-9 to the south entrance of the park. U-9 through Zion
National Park is always open and is also called the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway.
Many Pools is an East Zion Park slick rock adventure that runs along water filled pot holes. The hike begins in a drainage on the east side of the shorter Zion tunnel.
Beta: Coordinates and other trail and canyoneering information
by Zion Park search and rescue veteran team member Bo
Beck and www.zionnational-park.com author Tanya Milligan.
To post trip reports, offer corrections, updates, or for more
information please visit the Zion
National Park Forum
Suggested
Gear: A sturdy pair of shoes are recommend to hike the trails in Zion National
Park. Many quality shoes will help grip the rocks and prevent injury. Experienced
Zion hikers and canyoneers like the La Sportiva Exum Ridge. This shoe is great
for hiking, bouldering and canyoneering.
This is a delightful hike away from the crowds that mull in masses in Zion Canyon. The elevation gain is a gradual climb up slickrock, alongside water filled pools. The canyon is wide open most of the time with sandstone mountains crowding close at times. The sunny path makes this trek a nice spring or fall hike, but in the summer it is usually too hot since there is little shade. The water source for the pools is from snow melt so water is not running all the time, but often sits in the pots. If you go the day after a rain, this hike is magnificent. The hike ends at a waterfall near the top of a charming alcove.
Many Pools at a Glance
Photo Album: Many Pools Pictures
Topo Map: Many Pools Topo Map
Map: Zion Backcountry Map Day Hike: Yes Trail Distance: 2 miles round trip to the end of Many Pools. (Strenuous option: 4.4 miles round trip to the East Rim. Average Hiking Time: 2 hours round trip to Many Pools and back. (6 hours round trip to East Rim) Trail Usage: Low
Difficulty: Moderate Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Permits: Not required. Trail Conditions: There is not a maintained trail. Hiking is mostly on slickrock with some easy scrambling.
Trailhead: Second drainage east of the shorter tunnel along the Zion Mt. Carmel Highway. The drainage is 0.9 miles from the end of the short tunnel. Trailend: Same as trailhead Trail Access: Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway (SR 9) is open year round. Best Season: Year round hike as long as the rock is free from ice and snow. Off the Beaten Path: Yes Classic Zion Hike: No Starting Elevation: 5391'/1643m Highest Elevation: 6833'/2083m Restrooms: Located at the east entrance near the toll booth or at the Canyon Overlook Trailhead on the east side of the Zion Mt. Carmel Tunnel.
See our vacation planning section for classic Zion National Park trails or glance at our favorite Zion National Park trails list or choose from a complete Zion National Park hiking guide. Do not get on the Zion Canyon Shuttle to hike the trail on this page.
Many Pools Hike
Drive along the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway, heading east from the small tunnel. Look for the second drainage east of the tunnel. On a topo map the two canyons east of the small tunnel resemble a root canal and are often called the "Route Canals" or the "Twins". Many Pools is found in the eastern canyon. Large white mountains are visible landmarks from the road. Also from the road it is possible to see where the trail passes between a small dome-like mountain and a larger mountain to the right. There is a large pull-out 0.8 miles from the end of the small tunnel. The drainage is 0.1 miles past the pull-out.
Hike down into the sandy bottom of the canyon. You should be hiking away from a culvert built in the 1930's that is visible beneath the road. The drainage gradually goes uphill as the sandy path changes to hard slickrock. The canyon opens up as rock culverts lead to water filled pot holes and large slabs of flat rock form a nice walking path. A large rock is turned on its side making a short little slot on the right. Two large ponderosa pines and two large juniper trees offer a momentary retreat from the sun. A huge boulder provides a nice backdrop for a dwarf waterfall about a half-mile into the hike. The route becomes steeper as the water-filled pools become more common. To the east is a black-capped hoodoo and impressive wide open views in all four directions. Some of the slickrock is carved with crossbedding similar to that on Checkerboard Mesa. Some of the larger pools are in this area.
The Alcove
A charming cavern is found .7 miles into the hike. If water is running, the waterfall makes this a wonderful place to explore and the grotto sports a nice hanging garden. There are two junipers and a pinon pine nearby. A pointed mountain juts into the side of another mountain at this point.
Climb around the waterfall by taking the sandy path to the west. Crossbedding is evident on the mountains in this direction. The canyon is wide here for a while before the mountain walls close in. Towering slickrock begins to rise on both sides of the route. Water streams have carved a winding path through the hard rock below, while above, red stains and striations steal the show. Prickly pear, junipers, shrub live oak, ponderosa pine, pinon pines, manzanitas and yucca dot the landscape.
Top of Many Pools
One mile into the hike is the top of the pools. The elevation at this point is 5772'. Most hikers will turn around at this point.
Past Many Pools to the East Rim
If you choose to continue, this section of the trail is strenuous and only for experienced hikers. There are short climbing sections, bouldering and slick mud climbing as well as serious bushwhacking ahead. Stay in the drainage all the way to the rim. The canyon will narrow and can be treacherous in the winter when large slabs of ice and huge icicles fall off the smooth mountain sides into the trail. Do not pass if ice is present on the mountains. From the start of the hike to the East Rim, it's 2.2 miles and about 3 hours, one way. The elevation at the top of the East Rim is 6833' where there is an impressive view looking back down into the route canal. At the top of the mountain you are not on the East Rim Trail and you will need to route find to find any trails or return the way you came.
The Trail: On a topo map, the two canyons east of the small tunnel resemble a root canal and are often called the "Route Canals" or the "Twins".
Best Trail Features: Many Pools is a fun option to hike that is outside of Zion Canyon. Although the water source is from snow melt and does not run all year, the hike is a wonderful excursion through the beautiful slick rock of Zion National park.
There may be mistakes or gaps, but there is something in it of what wood or beech or figure has told me, and it is not a tame or conventional language, that proceeds not from nature itself but from a studied manner or a system.
