10 Things to Pack for Yellowstone National Park in July

While summer in most of the US means hot and humid, that is not the case for Yellowstone National Park where the temperatures can vary greatly, even throughout the course of a single day. Our visit was in July and we experienced rain, chilly mornings (think 40's) and hot climates throughout the park. This can make packing for this national park anything but simple.

With hardly any access to the outside world, not to mention the price inflating going on in the gift shops, the pressure to pack correctly for your summer vacation to Yellowstone is real.

No need to worry, I'm sharing all the essentials we packed so you don't have to fret about filling your car with miscellaneous non-essentials.

1. Binoculars

The free-roaming wildlife is one of the things that Yellowstone is famous for. It's not unusual to get up close and personal with Elk, Marmots and Buffalo. You may also have the opportunity to spot more elusive animals like bears and eagles (especially in the Lamar Valley region of the park).

That's when you'll be glad you packed your binoculars! For our trip, we were fortunate enough to borrow a pair from my parents, but if you are looking for a pair to purchase, I have my eye on this pair.

Binoculars can get pretty expensive and I love how affordable this pair is and all the features it includes, like the tripod. Your arms will get surprisingly tired after holding your pair up for anything longer than 5 minutes - trust me!

Also, how cool is it that this pair has an attachment for your phone?! We could've used this on our bear sighting - we thought holding your phone up to the lens would do the trick. See below for the results - perfect right?! haha

2. Refillable Water Bottle

This one may seem obvious, but the key here is refillable. Many of the stops had stations with ice and fresh water which made staying hydrated easy.

Any time we take a road trip we usually load the trunk with a case of water - this helps us to always have water no matter where we are, but often can feel like a bit wasteful compared to a single refillable water bottle, but hydration is important!

3. Sunscreen & Sun Protection

When the clouds melt away, the afternoon sun can beat down quite intensely. I brought a sun shirt that I liked to get damp and throw on in the afternoons. If you don't have something like that, be sure to pack the SPF so you don't wake up miserable from an unexpected sunburn!

4. Hand Sanitizer or Wipes

Let's just say the bathrooms throughout the park leave a lot to be desired, if you catch my drift. ;)

5. Tennis Shoes

You can get around the boardwalk surrounding many of the main attractions pretty comfortably with sandals (think Chacos or Tevas) but there are a few more natural trails where you will be glad you brought tennis shoes. Also, they are nice and warm for the chilly mornings.

On our longer days, we wore our tennis shoes but packed our sandals in the car to change into once we got hot in the afternoon. That's the beauty of having a car in Yellowstone!

6. Cooling Towel

Personally, I HATE sweating. It is such an uncomfortable feeling for me - I would so much rather be cold than hot. That being said having a cooling towel greatly helped with some of the afternoon heat.

7. Bug Spray

Nature = bugs, enough said!

8. Snacks

We were trying to avoid paying through the nose for park food so we ended up snacking through most of the day and only eating 1 larger afternoon meal. The snacks we liked having on hand were these tuna cups, which are super handy for on-the-go snacking with an included spoon, as well as a pack of cliff bars to keep us fueled.

What are your favorite travel snacks?

9. National Parks Service App

Like with most National Parks the cell phone service at Yellowstone is spotty at best. Even though you will get a map at any of the entrances - we always find it handy to download the National Park Service app and pre-download the guide for whichever park we are visiting.

This way we won't lose access to trail maps and other features when we no longer have service. It's also fun to build a list of parks you've visited within the app and even discover a few new parks near you.

P.S. This app is completely free to use!

10. Lotion

The climate in Yellowstone is surprisingly arid and this can really take a toll on the moisture of your skin. I definitely could've used more lotion, I always overlook this when packing, but made do with what I had!

BONUS: Layers, Layers, Layers

For our trip, we needed layers for rain, warmth and sun. I was very cautious about over-packing and ended up being comfortable with the following:

Flannel button-up

For a quick throw-on and added warmth

Light Rain Pull-Over

Also came in handy for blocking the wind

Sun Shirt

I also layered this when it was colder

1 Tank Top

This was perfect under the flannel for transitioning from the chilly mornings to the hot afternoons.

1 Tee Shirt

I layered this under the rain pullover for the surprise showers

1 Pair of Hiking Pants

Rolled into capris

1 Pair of leggings

To be worn alone or under hiking pants for extra warmth

1 Hat

Worked for sun & rain protection & keeping in heat in the mornings

A Note on Bear Spray

You may notice we didn’t have bear spray on the list. We agonized over whether or not to bring this hotly debated spray in the weeks leading up to our trip and ultimately decided we wouldn’t be doing any backwoods exploring where we might encounter a solo bear. If you plan on venturing out on less-popular trails or at times when visitors are less prevalent I would suggest you bring this for peace of mind, if nothing else!

I hope you found these items helpful as you are planning for your summer trip to Yellowstone National Park. Let me know what you found the most useful in the comments!

If you're planning your trip, be sure to check out my free 2-day itinerary to make sure you see it all!