How to Find Many Pools’ Unknown Neighbor Trail

Looking for a secret hike with that not many people known of in Zion National Park? On our last time visiting Zion National Park, we wanted to explore hikes that are not very well-known. One of these is the Many Pools trail. As we were trying to figure out where to go, we eventually found what we thought was the Many Pools trail. However, once we got home, we realized that the trail we did actually wasn’t the official Many Pools trail nor it was on any maps or betas. Even so, it was such a beautiful hike that we wanted to share it with you guys. This Many Pools’ unknown neighbor trail has everything from slot canyon, and beautiful sceneries to yes, you guessed it, pools of water and big horn sheep. If you’re looking for a hike with views and solitude, this is it.

Note: Please make sure to respect this beautiful place and the surrounding areas. Always practice LEAVE NO TRACE. This means no loud music, no graffiti, no taking artifacts or fossilized items, and pack out what you pack in! Please help us protect this place for generations to come!

Stats

Where

Parking Lot:

37°13’18.6″N 112°54’53.8″W

Start of Slot Canyon:
37°13’14.3″N 112°54’57.2″W

Parking

These is a small turn-out on the side of the road that fit about 8-10 cars.

Restroom

There is pit toilet at the turn out.

Fee

There is a fee to enter the Zion National Park. Please check the park’s website for updated infos. You can also use your annual pass such as America the Beautiful Pass here.

Important Things

It is a canyon so don’t go if there is chance of flash flood
If you go in the winter, the canyons can be icy. Crampons might help.

Distance

About 2.1 miles R.T.

Elevation Gain

5oo ft

Level

Moderate

Time:

1 – 2 hours

Pet-friendly

Dogs aren’t allowed on this trail.

Ideal Time

Spring and Fall have the best weather. Summer can be hot while in the winter, you might encounter snow or icy seasons. The pools are most spectacular during the Spring runoff or after a big rainstorm.

Weather

Video

Getting There

Since this trail is the unknown neighbor of Many Pools trail, it shares the same parking lot as Many Pools. To get here, you’ll need a car. There are no shuttles. If you’re coming from Zion National Park’s entrance in Springdale, follow Route 9/Zion Park Blvd to the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel. Once you’ll pass through the tunnel, it is about 2.3 miles until you see a pull-out on the right-hand side of the road. There is also a small restroom on that side of the road. This is where you can park to start your adventure. The parking for Many Pools Trail is also about 3.1 miles from the East Park Entrance from Orderville.

The Slot Canyon Detour

To start Many Pools’ Unknown Neighbor Trail, from the parking lot of Many Pools Trail, follow the worn trails on the right-hand side down to the wash for Pine Creek below. Once you get down to the bottom, follow the sandy wash toward the direction of the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel. If you want a quick detour, go left (away from the tunnel). This will leads you through a small but wonderful slot canyon. We went in the winter and the whole slot canyon was frozen with snow and ice. It was quite beautiful and super fun to play with the chunks of ice. If you come here in the winter, we recommend bring crampons. It makes it so much easier walking on the ice.

The Start of the Main Trail

Now, let’s get back to business! From the main wash going toward Zion-Mount Carmen Tunnel, you’ll come to another short slot canyon. If the canyon is too icy or full of water, you can bypass it by scrambling on the hill on the right. We recommend going through it if you can though. Once you pass through this slot canyon, you’ll come to a split. Go right, toward the road. You should be able to see a tunnel under Highway 9. Going through this tunnel will lead you toward the other side of the main road.

As soon as you cross over to the other side of the tunnel, the trail leads straight to the slick rock areas. Since it is in the canyon, you won’t get lost as soon as you stay inside the canyon. However, it is always good to bring your working GPS or tracking device such as the Garmin Inreach.

Up the Slick Rock

The unknown neighbor of Many Pools Trail follows the canyon wall on the left and leads further into the canyon. As we hiked further, a series of big and deep pools appear on the slick rocks. They were quite full when we went. The further we hiked, the more pools appeared. The view behind us was also very beautiful, especially in the winter. The snowy mountain is a stark contrast to the red rocks.

After this area, the trail switches back and forth between sandy wash and Slickrock. We eventually came up with another slot canyon on the left. It was full of water so we scrambled up the hill on the right to bypass it. After this slot canyon, it was also more of the same sandy wash and slick rock combination before we got to another slot canyon. You can always bypass this one by going up the hill on the right. This whole area is quite beautiful. I love seeing the rock formations here and how the water sculpts the sandstone to smooth and curvy canyon walls.

The End

Once we passed through the last slot canyon, we soon reached what looks like the end of the trail. It is a small alcove filled with water. Once we got to the end, there is a chamber on the left with a frozen pool of water at the bottom. It doesn’t look like we can go any further. If we really wanted to, it looks like we could climb up using the crack in the middle of the wall. However, neither of us was that ambitious that day, so we decided to turn back. We headed back the same way we came from.

Even though this trail is not on any maps in Zion National Park, it was so beautiful and unique. In our opinion, it is a bit easier, yet, it has a lot more unique features than its neighbor, Many Pools trails. If you’re visiting Zion, check out Canyon Over Look or Watchman Trail. Another off-the-beaten-path hike that we love is Lower Pine Creek falls. If you’re looking for something more challenging, do Angels Landing or the Subway! Our favorite way to get to the Subway is top-down, although, it is definitely required some skills.

These are the gear that we personally use and find them helpful for this particular adventure. Don’t forget to check out our Recommended Gear section as well.