Many Pools Hike | Zion National Park

Want a break from the crowds at the other big attraction hikes in Zion? Drive over to the East side of the Park and explore the Many Pools hike, you won’t regret it!

A number of other YouTube videos call this "Many Pools Trail" which is very misleading. This is what I call a freestyle hike. Our exploration follows the wash upstream which steadily climbs upward toward a landmark white/red cliff face. There is no marked trail, but it’s easy to follow the wash. We saw very few other hikers in our several hours of exploring Many Pools! The stabilization on some of the footage is poor, I was using a backup camera, but I hope this footage gives you a good feel for the terrain and scenery.

0:00 First of Many Pools...
0:40 Merging of our group
1:04 Following the wash
1:29 Climbing up the valley
2:03 Bedrock "road" and amazing view
3:50 Reaching the base of the big white cliff and more pools
5:13 Petroglyph site?
6:09 Heading back toward the cars

Gear I brought along:
• Sandwiches and snacks
• Fleece sweater
(It had snowed earlier in the week, and there was light rain the day before)
• Hiking shoes
(Vibram soles work great on this surface)
• Hiking poles optional (helpful on steep descents)
• Camera gear

Be smart, hike with others or let someone know where you are headed and when you expect to be back. We had Motorola “Walkie Talkies” to communicate at times when we split up (These are great when cell service is unavailable), and I carry a Garmin inReach mini in case of emergency I can request help via GPS.

Pay attention to weather forecasts and avoid any slot canyons should you anticipate rain or notice wind in the canyon picking up.

Getting there:
Drive approximately 8.8 very scenic miles from the South Park entrance Ranger Station (you will pass through the Zion-Mount Carmel tunnel) and eventually park off the road near a roadside rest room. Coordinates: 37.2219142, -112.9149894

“Trailhead” (No marked trail here)
Option 1: Cross the road opposite the restroom and work your way along a ridge before dropping into the wash and the Many Pools. Most of my group took this route.
Option 2: I walked further up the road and just around the bend along the oncoming traffic side found a small path that leads right into the wash. Approximate Coordinates: 37.2230865, -112.9146293