Utah Trip Part 4 (Zion - The Narrows and Emerald Pools)

We started Wednesday with a quick 2.1 mile hike to Lower and Middle Emerald Pools in Zion.   The trail to the lower pool is paved with a gradual incline.   After reaching the lower pool, the path skirts under the waterfall and then leads to the middle pool via a series of steps.   Both waterfalls had very low water, but it was fun walking under the waterfall at the lower pool.   At the middle pool we spent time watching a tarantula that was walking around the area.   

We then hiked The Narrows, a quintessential Zion hike that travels upstream in the Virgin River through a slot canyon.  We hiked a total of 7 miles, the first and last of which were the Riverside Walk.  The hike then enters the river and alternates between hiking on land, fording the river, and in many cases just hiking in the river itself.  We hiked 2.5 miles up The Narrows until reaching Orderville Canyon.   We turned around at this point due to forecasted rain and clouds starting to form in the sky, raising the potential for flash flooding.   

This was easily the best hike we did on our entire trip and a fitting way to end the trip.   Although crowded at first, the crowds thinned the further upstream we went.