Yellowstone National Park · Idaho, Montana, Wyoming

Sentinel Meadows Trail

2.0 mi of trail, end to end · about 80 ft of climbing · 7,182 ft–7,241 ft · earth surface · trail class Minimally Developed · bike, hiking

7,196 ft 7,219 ft · 0.8 mi high 7,241 ft

Trailhead Fountain Flats Drive / Freight Road Trailhead 7,193 ft Drive there

Sentinel Meadows & Queen’s Laundry Trail the Park Service's write-up

2-4 Hours · no dogs · Winter, Summer, Fall

Start Midway Geyser Basin

A thermal area sits in a meadow in front of rolling hills.
Photo: NPS / Addy Falgoust

The trail follows the Firehole River a short distance, then veers toward the meadows. Look for the large sinter mounds of hot springs and the remains of the old, incomplete bathhouse at Queen’s Laundry. Begun in 1881, construction was abandoned as park administrations and priorities changed. Minerals from the hot springs preserved the structure, which was the first building constructed by the government for public use in any national park. Queen’s Laundry is a National Historic Site.

Safety notes: Hiking off-trail in the hydrothermal areas is not permitted.

Trailheads: Park at the end of Fountain Flats Drive and cross the bridge over the Firehole River.

This hike on nps.gov

On the parks map

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About this trail's facts

The lines are the National Park Service's public trails layer, the trailheads and the waterfalls, views, peaks and historic places along them the Service's public points of interest, read 2026-10-16 and simplified for the map; the length is the line's, end to end. The write-ups are the Service's own "things to do" text, unedited. Heights come from USGS 3DEP through Terrain Tiles on AWS (Mapzen/Tilezen), read along each line and rounded; a short trail on steep ground can be off by a few tens of feet. Closures change: check the park's own site before you go.