A seasonal body of standing water that normally forms after the cold or very cold time of year from melting snow and other runoff, dries out completely in the hotter months of summer, and often refills in the autumn: Vernal pools range from broad, heavily vegetated lowland bodies to smaller, isolated upland bodies with little permanent vegetation.

The vernal pools don't contain fish and provide important breeding habitats for many terrestrial or semiaquatic species; such as, frogs, salamanders, and turtles.