What to Pack For a Trip to Yellowstone, According to a "Yellowstone" Fan
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As a big "Yellowstone" fan, I always wanted to travel to Montana for one reason: to embrace my inner Beth Dutton. I imagined handsome cowboys in hats and jeans, bison roaming around freely, and open landscapes that looked just as beautiful as they do on TV. But here's the reality of visiting Yellowstone in the winter: it is very, very cold.
As much as I wanted to embrace Beth's western-chic aesthetic, the snow, wind, and temperature had other plans. Of course, this is one of the downsides of traveling to Yellowstone in the winter, but when you ride around the national park in a Ski-Doo, the only snowmobile brand allowed inside the park because of its low emission rate, you won't care what you look like as long as you're warm.
So here's my packing list for Yellowstone in the middle of winter. And I promise, traveling to the national park during its shoulder season is worth it. There are way less crowds, much better views, and you may find yourself an arm's length away from bison in the middle of the street. Yes, you can still rock a cowboy core aesthetic even while staying warm — here's how.
Best Packing Tips for Yellowstone
The best advice I can give you for a winter trip to Yellowstone: layer up. When you're in the park, the temperature can get as low as zero degrees. Like I'm sure you've heard a million times from your dad, you can always take off layers if you get too warm, but you can't add on layers if you get too cold. Find a solid base layer to keep you warm and protected.
Personally, I doubled up on the base layers because I hate being cold. I also made sure to pack a warm beanie, gloves, bulky socks, and a good pair of snow shoes. Yes, there is snow all around Yellowstone, and yes, you will slip if your shoes don't have great traction.
To go over your layers underneath, you'll need a ski jacket and ski pants. Again, I went to Yellowstone with the intent of looking like Beth Dutton, but I ended up looking like a marshmallow once all my gear was on. That said, did I ever get cold? Nope.
When you're not riding your Ski-Doo around the park, this is when you can have a little bit more fun with your cowgirl aesthetic dream. When I went to dinner or lunch in town, I made sure to pull out my cowboy boots, a warm black leather jacket from Zara, and the most flattering Reformation jeans I own. (More on these fits below.) Though I was cold in 90 percent of my outfits when I walked to restaurants or stores, everything is close by, so I knew it would only be a few minutes before I'd be inside. Totally worth it in my opinion.
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A Cozy and Warm Base Layer
Uniqlo Heattech Fleece T-Shirt Turtleneck ($25)
When it comes to your base layers, you need to avoid wearing anything made from cotton and opt for fleece instead. This is why anything from Uniqlo's Heattech collection will do. This turtleneck T-shirt — made from 70-percent acrylic and 30-percent rayon — will keep you warm on and off the Ski-Doo.
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A Durable Ski Jacket
Ski-Doo Women's Insulated Exodus X-Team Edition Jacket ($359)
I wore this insulated jacket while riding my Ski-Doo around Yellowstone, and not once did I get cold. Not only does this jacket have a zipper to keep all my clothes tucked in, but it also has buttons on top of the zipper that really lock in the whole outfit.
Plus, there's no shortage of pockets: there are two hand pockets, one chest pocket, and one pocket inside the jacket. This is important because, when you're seeing as much wildlife and beautiful scenery as you are in Yellowstone, you want to be able to quickly pull your phone out of your pocket to capture it.
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Warm, Snow-Proof Pants
Ski-Doo Women's Insulated Absolute 0 Highpants ($470)
Next up on the things to pack for Yellowstone: warm ski pants. I wore these Ski-Doo highpants, which were insulated and lined with polar fleece. The problem with most ski pants is that, while they keep you warm, they feel insanely uncomfortable or hard to get off. Fortunately, this wasn't the case for this Ski-Doo option. When I had to use the restroom, it wasn't a big deal or hassle removing the pants. (The layers though? Another story.)
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Chic Cowgirl Boots
Pasuot Western Knee-High Wide-Calf Cowgirl Boots ($45)
You can't go to Yellowstone and not wear cowboy boots — it's like a requirement the moment you enter Montana. Because I knew I'd wear cowboy boots only a few more times in my life, I didn't go for the expensive real leather boots. Instead, I opted for something easy, cheap, and quick-to-ship on Amazon. This option from Pasuot worked perfectly walking around town — just be mindful of the ice out there. It's slick!
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A Beth Dutton-Approved Leather Jacket
Zara Double Faced Jacket ZW Collection ($139)
This is the jacket I wore around town when I wasn't riding my Ski-Doo around Yellowstone. Though it has more of a city vibe than a country one, it still made me feel like Beth Dutton, since she always wears cute leather jackets, and this one kept me warm during my meals. Can't complain.
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A Sleek Pair of Jeans
Reformation Cary Stretch High Rise Slouchy Wide Leg Jeans in Black ($168)
I recently reviewed Reformation's Cary High-Rise Slouchy Jeans, and I will never not pack them for any vacation I go on. In general, they can be dressed up and down for any occasion, but in my attempt to be Beth Dutton for a few days, they were perfect. Because they're wide leg, they leave enough room for the cowboy boots to fit underneath, and they're also heavy and durable enough that I wasn't freezing wearing them. Highly recommend for Yellowstone — and really, for any occasion.
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Something to Capture the Beauty of Yellowstone
GoPro Hero12 Black Camera ($300)
Learn from my mistakes and bring a GoPro or any camera that can be attached to your chest or helmet. This is the one item on this list that I didn't bring to Yellowstone, and I'm still regretting it.
When you're on a Ski-Doo in Yellowstone, it's hard to pull out your phone when you are driving 30 miles per hour and have bulky gloves on. Sticking a Go-Pro on my helmet would have helped me capture some of the incredible views. Of course, Yellowstone is an amazing place to experience without being on a device, but I would've loved to have some video footage of my time there to look back on in the future.
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Taylor Andrews (she/her) is the balance editor at PS, specializing in topics relating to sex, relationships, dating, sexual health, mental health, travel, and more. With seven years of editorial experience, Taylor has a strong background in content creation and storytelling. Prior to joining PS in 2021, she worked at Cosmopolitan.