Upper Emerald Pool — Attraction in Apple Valley

There are three different "levels" of Emerald Pools and this one is the upper most. Maybe it's because it's on the top but it has the most water out of these "pools" and the water actually kind of looks green (though I wouldn't call it emerald). What's more impressive than the pool of water, imo, is the wall of red rock cliff behind the water. You can see from my video but it's truly awe inspiring up close and personal. Here's my pro tip on how to get there and make the most of this somewhat strenuous hike: when you get to the three pools junction, go to the upper pool first and then come back down to get to the lower pool. After that you can go to the middle pool and from there continue your hike on the Kayenta Trail and turn off at the Court of the Patriarchs shuttle bus stop. If you started your Kayenta Trail hike from the Grotto shuttle bus stop, it would've probably taken you about 30-45 minutes of incline hike to get to the Emerald Pools but from the Middle Pool, the rest of the Kayenta Trail is almost all down hill. So instead of turning back to go back to the Grotto, it's worth just continuing on the trail to make it a kind of a loop. Don't do what I did, I started my Kayenta Trail hike from the Patriarchs bus stop and it was a very steep hill almost all the way to the Pools. Learn from my mistake folks. You can...

Worth the hike for many sights along the trail as well as the pool itself. Cactus blooms were scattered along the trail. One rattle snake was near the upper pool. We were there 1 June 2023 and the waterfall at the upper pool was pretty much a sprinkle. The upper pool was still nice. The waterfall at the middle pool had stopped and the pool wasn't very interesting. We started the trail by 9:00 AM and there were several people on the trail with us. Everyone was polite and considerate except one man in a neon green shirt at the pool that stayed in the center of everyone's effort to get a good photo. I think he may have stayed all day. (He photoshopped out very nicely.) Be careful on this trail. There are a few places where the drop off would be life threatening. As we walked out, there was a fairly continuous line of people going up, so the trail gets busier as the day goes on. People do not all know correct hiking etiquette, so be extra accommodating for your good as well as theirs. I'm 73 and in decent physical shape, but at the end of this hike, I was ready to rest a bit before going to the next place. As the signs say, if you have a health condition, this hike would not be a wise...

The Upper Emerald Pool is the hardest of the Emerald Pools to reach, so it's a good thing its the most picturesque of the three. The pool sits beneath an incredibly high, nearly vertical rock face, with cool color patterns and potentially a waterfall if the flow rates are high enough. The ground around the pool is wet and can be moss covered, so be very careful if you try to explore off-path. As tame as this area seems compared to Angel's Landing and Observation Point, people have died here too.

Getting here is a moderate to slightly strenuous hike with a fairly large elevation gain, so it might not be best for people who aren't in decent shape. And if I'm being honest, the views along the hike to the Middle Emerald Pool and along the Kayenta Trail were better than the views you'll see at the Upper Emerald Pool. But if you're in decent shape and have the time, I'd definitely...