Clear Lake–Ribbon Lake Loop Trail

The Clear Lake–Ribbon Lake Loop is about 6.1 miles, joining a hydrothermal lake, a second lake with lily-pad margins, and a return along the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Allow 3 to 4 hours. The mapped line measures about 6.2 miles; an older route map gives 5.8, so expect a little variation with the trailhead access and exact rim alignment. This is a good half-day walk if you want lakes and canyon views together. The separate 5.8-mile Ribbon Lake there-and-back is a different trip: this loop turns toward Artist Point and the South Rim instead of retracing all the way to the start.

Park at Uncle Tom’s Point, about 2.3 miles south of Canyon Junction on South Rim Drive. The trail begins across the road to the south. It heads through trees, crosses a small meadow, and descends toward Clear Lake. At the Clear Lake junction, turn left and keep following the junction signs; the farther route is easy to confuse with shorter Clear Lake walks from another access point. One route description calls the loop moderately easy with little vertical rise, while another estimates about 900 feet of climbing. Treat it as a moderate outing, not a flat stroll.

Clear Lake is the first big payoff, with bright turquoise water against the forest. The trail skirts nearby hydrothermal ground where steam vents and bubbling mud pots release a sulfur smell. It is tempting to step closer for a better look, but the crust around thermal features can be thin over scalding water. Stay on the marked trail. You can see the features from the route without stepping off the tread.

Beyond Clear Lake, the path continues through forest and around smaller ponds and wet ground before reaching Ribbon Lake. Its margins are dotted with lily pads, a softer scene after the bare, steaming ground near Clear Lake. Follow the marked junctions to the lake rather than turning back when the path reaches the shoreline: this longer circuit is what connects the two lakes with the South Rim return.

From Ribbon Lake, the trail reaches its outlet and the canyon edge. Surface Creek drops into the Grand Canyon as Silver Cord Cascade; the waterfall can be hard to pick out from above, so take a moment to look across the canyon rather than expecting a close-up. At Lily Pad Lake junction, take the right-hand branch for the loop. A further junction points toward Point Sublime and Artist Point. Head west to Artist Point, then connect to the paved South Rim Trail at the southwest end of the parking area. The last stretch follows the canyon edge back to your car. Vault toilets are at the west end of that lot, along the return.

There is no water source on the trail, so bring enough for the full walk. Pets are not allowed. The park lists the route for summer and fall. If you want a shorter lake walk, a separate 4-mile out-and-back from the Wapiti Lake Trail junction reaches Ribbon Lake, but it starts elsewhere and skips this loop’s canyon-rim finish.