I thought I had done a good job preparing for our Yellowstone and Grand Teton road trip, but apparently I dropped the ball when it came to packing. I had heard that I should pack layers because mornings can be cool, but I underestimated just how cool it would be. Not only did I fail to bring enough warm layers, I also packed too many shorts, yet didn’t wear a single pair. In this post, I’m hoping to help you learn from my mistakes and make sure you have everything you need for your Yellowstone/Grand Teton vacation!

Tips for Packing for Grand Teton and Yellowstone:

Mornings in Grand Teton and Yellowstone in mid-August were in the 30s. A hat and gloves would actually have not been crazy to have, especially on the sunrise scenic river float! It’s probably safe to say that you will need at least some warmer layers for mornings and evenings no matter what time of year you are visiting.
Jackson was a pretty casual town. Granted, we avoided any really fancy restaurants or fine dining because at the end of the day we were too tired to get all fancy. I packed a dress for dinner but didn’t need it. If you’re not planning on going to any upscale restaurants, it is perfectly acceptable to go to dinner in your hiking clothes.
There were some people in shorts during the day, but being that it was cold in the mornings, we were always in pants and never felt we needed to change into shorts because we were too hot. You’re probably better off having more lightweight pants.
I only brought 1 long sleeve shirt thinking the layers were just going to be worn “as needed” but it was needed so much that I ended up buying a long sleeve shirt while we were there. Lesson learned: bring more long sleeve shirts/layers.
You could never have too many pairs of good hiking socks. Even though we didn’t hike a ton, we walked a lot, and hiking socks work wonders in preventing blisters. We ended up buying more pairs while we were there.
One thing we did right was bring a pair of Keens/water shoes for swimming in the Boiling River. If you don’t plan on swimming, you probably won’t need water shoes, but I was really glad we had them. Even when I just wanted to get out of my hiking boots for a bit, these were the only other shoes I packed and they came in handy.
Binoculars are a worthy investment for a trip to the “American Safari.” We own a decent pair and they were great to have on the scenic river float in Grand Teton. In the large, vast Lamar Valley in Yellowstone, they didn’t quite cut it. It was definitely better than nothing, but I missed out on spotting wolves because my binoculars weren’t good enough. I would’ve missed a lot more than that if I didn’t have them at all.
If you are struggling with weight or fitting everything in a carry on, ditch the toiletries that are available in hotels (shampoo, body wash, conditioner, lotion).

Grand Teton and Yellowstone Packing List:

With all my lessons learned, these are the top things I would include in my Grand Teton and Yellowstone packing list. Keep in mind this is for August, granted it’s probably not much different for the other summer months.

Clothes:

3 pairs of hiking pants
2-3 pairs of leggings or comfortable lightweight pants for flights, driving, non-hiking days, and/or sleeping
7 tank tops or t-shirts
2-3 long sleeve layers (this would change depending on the season. For August, I think 2-3 would’ve been a good amount)
Jacket
Bathing suit
Underwear for every day
Sports bras
Hiking socks
Hiking boots
Keens

Gear:

Day pack with Hydrapak or other water reservoir
Headlamps (we actually never ended up using these but I usually bring them just in case we wander out at night)
Hiking poles (my first time using them and I liked them a lot)

Extras/Accessories:

Lightweight towels for each person (we have Sand Cloud and microfiber towels from REI that pack light and are quick drying)
Binoculars
Hat
Chapstick (this was a must!)
Bug spray
Sunscreen
Winter hat and gloves
Camera and camera equipment
Phone chargers