The Ideal Grand Teton & Yellowstone Packing List

So you’re like me and have decided it’s time to see some of the United States’ most beautiful national parks? I don’t blame you one bit. You may have just booked your hotel or Airbnb, or you may have your itinerary complete but need to know what you should pack. This is where I’m here to help. Below is my Grand Teton and Yellowstone packing list, which contains everything we had, and what we wished we had, on our road trip through the parks.

And also as a heads up, I may receive commission if you make a purchase from some of the links in this list. So thank you for making any purchase from the items included in my own Yellowstone and Grand Teton packing list, it allows me to continue to write posts like this for you!

Footwear

When walking around or hiking in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks you’re DEFINITELY going to want to have protective but comfortable footwear

Hiking/Walking Boots

A good pair of hiking boots is literally a requirement if you’re doing ANY hiking at these parts, therefore a Grand Teton and Yellowstone packing list is not complete without a good pair of hiking boots or hiking-adjacent boots. I couldn’t recommend these enough, my husband and I both have them!

Spring/Summer/Fall:

Bonus? Hiking Sandals

Big fan of this pair of Teva Hydratek Sandals which have a thicker sole. I didn’t wear these a ton when I was in Yellowstone or Grand Teton, but they’re great to have especially if you’re hiking or spending time at one of the gorgeous lakes at the Tetons and wanted to give your feet a nice, cool rest.

Winter:

For winter I would also HIGHLY recommend some microspikes/crampons. I have these ones and they work great!

Trekking/Hiking Socks

If you’ve got your boot game strong, you’re going to want some solid socks to keep your feet comfy and for that I highhhhhly recommend merino wool socks. Because not only are they cozy but they keep your feet temperature regulated as well. No Grand Teton and Yellowstone packing list is complete without merino wool socks, in my humble opinion.

• If you’re going to be hiking, a thicker sock is going to be it and these Smartwool Full Cushion Hiking Socks are my favorites. I hiked over 25 miles while at Grand Teton specifically and these bad boys prevented blisters the whooooole time.
• If you’re not hiking but wearing some Blundstones (the boots I mentioned above) I prefer a thinner merino wool sock and this Smartwool Everyday Sock is great.

Clothes

Now, what are you actually going to wear when visiting Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks? This totally depends on season, but here are the things I loved wearing.

Base Layer Tops

Once again, a common theme of this list for clothes is going to be merino wool because they really do a great job of keeping your temperature regulated and also not stinking right away. So this Grand Teton and Yellowstone packing list is going to be full of it!

This is genuinely my favorite hiking/national parks shirt and a must-add to my Yellowstone and Grand Teton packing list because they’re great. I have worn them so many places, including just 1 shirt for 4 full days backpacking in Havasupai and it DIDN’T SMELL AT ALL by the end. I think these are magical.

Comfy/Hiking Pants

Whether you’re hiking or sitting in a car and driving to the hot spots, you’re going to want to wear comfy pants with accessible pockets. So these are some that I love I’d highly recommend.

Spring/Summer/Fall:

Winter:

1 or 2 “Nice” Outfits

I brought 2 dresses and a pair of nicer shoes/sandals for if we wanted to explore town(s) and go to a nicer restaurant, so we didn’t have to continue wearing stinky hiking clothes.

Outer Layers

Again, depending on what time of year it is, you’ll want to pack some outer layers. For spring/summer/fall in Yellowstone and Grand Teton, I think some combination of these would work for your packing list! So I’ll go ahead and break them out by season for you:

Spring/Fall:

Preparing for maybe chilly mornings and evenings but afternoons that could get warmer!

Light Jacket

A puffer jacket is life changing and truly it is on any national parks packing list for me but especially this Grand Teton and Yellowstone one.

Rain Coat

If it’s going to be spring and per chance rainy, this will be great. It’s also just a good light layer for chilly mornings.

Winter:

Preparing for LOTS of snow and cold at Yellowstone and Grand Teton, so you’ll want a really warm parka you can move around in. I loooove these!

Storage Things

• A good hiking or photography backpack
  • I bought this backpack from Peak Design for the trip so that I could easily swap lenses, and it was amazing. I loved it. I also saw another guy with the exact same backpack and he’d had it for years. I WILL SAY I would no longer use this for longer hikes, and would simply carry this around for exploring vs. trekking.
  • If you’re looking for hiking backpacks specifically, I love these 2 (and they’re women’s, heads up)
    • Osprey Mira 32 Hydration Pack
    • Osprey Tempest 22 for one that’s slightly smaller
• Cooler(s)
  • We had both a small cooler for food and snack storage and a smaller one we could carry with us a that had space for a couple of beers to enjoy while sitting next to the river or wherever we were for a little bit. This is the little one that came in quite handy for river beers.
• Grocery bags
  • You’ll use them for lots of stuff throughout your trip, but at very least you’ll use them for car trash. Don’t you dare leave these anywhere other than trash cans though; I refuse to allow my Yellowstone and Grand Teton packing list to cause any harm. Always leave no trace.
• Water containers
  • Be it water bottles or a Camelback pack, you’ll want to make sure you have plenty of water, particularly if you’re hiking. This HydroFlask water bottle I use every day and have taken on many trips with me but this UV filter LARQ water bottle is my new obsession. And water is heavy, so make sure to account for that in your pack. This applies to both a Yellowstone or Grand Teton packing list.

Photography Things

If you’re a photographer of sorts, here is my camera kit for capturing gorgeous Yellowstone and Grand Teton photos:

• Camera
  • I have the Sony a7IV and I absolutely love it
• Lens(es)
  • Everyday lens: Tamron 28 – 200
    • I use this for the vast majority of my photography
  • Zoom lens: Sony 100 – 400
    • I use this lens for wildlife photoraphy specifically
  • Wide angle lens: Sony 12 – 24
    • This is the lens I probably used the least, but it’s great for trying to get a full mountain range in a photo

Safety and Nature Things

• Bug spray
• Bear spray
• Binoculars
• Sunscreen
• Sunglasses
• Noisemakers

Random Things You Might Not Think Of

• Car and portable charger(s)
  • You’ll definitely want these to make sure your phone and cameras stay charged
• Dryer sheets
  • Because your hiking boots will end up smelling I promise
• Febreeze
  • Maybe we’re just smelly but to keep everything fresh
• Downloaded entertainment
  • Save playlists or podcasts to your device so you can access them in offline mode since you’ll likely be driving a bit in the park and also likely won’t have service

Things I Wish I Had

• Sink washing packs
  • We didn’t have a washing machine until the back half of our trip and I wish we had had these little detergent packs specifically for sinks.
• Wrinkle release spray
  • Living in a suitcase, you’re just bound to get wrinkly. We bought a wrinkle release spray halfway through the trip and it was great.
• Floaties for ultimate lake enjoyment
  • Bring a portable air pump and get yourself on the water quickly.
    

Now that you have your Yellowstone packing list in order, check out our top 14 tips for your time at Yellowstone. Also as a reminder, this list also works as a Grand Teton packing list. And if you need anything else, have questions or concerns, feel free to reach out via the contact form. Or if you’re looking for all of the things I recommend for a hiking trip, check out my Amazon storefront. Happy packing!

Excursions to Consider

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