The Yellowstone Backpacking Travel Guide
Everything you need to know about traveling to Yellowstone with Root Adventures!
You’re about to partake in an incredible adventure! Yellowstone is known for its iconic geysers, incredible hiking, active wildlife and beautiful lakes. Your exploration of the great outdoors will only be enhanced with mindfulness practices to lead you on an exploration of the great indoors, aka “the self”.
To get the most out of your journey it’s best to be prepared! We’ve laid out everything you need to know about traveling to Yellowstone with us. We can’t wait!
The Weather
How should I dress?
August is an ideal time to be in Yellowstone! The snow has melted, the weather is lovely, the wildlife is plentiful, and there is much to explore.
The average temperature is 77 degrees Fahrenheit during the day with lows in the upper 30’s/lower 40s at night. Because of the range of temperatures and the chill factor at night it's best to be prepared with lots of layers including rain gear to protect you from Yellowstone’s notoriously high winds.
You can read more about the gear you’ll need below.
The gear
What do I need to bring?
On the second day of this trip you’ll begin the backpacking portion of your adventure, spending time in the backcountry of Yellowstone for the next two nights!
The first night you will be staying at a frontcountry campsite and the last night you’ll be at beautiful and comfortable glamping accommodations where you can get a good night’s rest before you head home!
Expect for your pack to be heavy, 35+ lbs, carrying all that you need with you for the next 3 days and 2 nights. We can’t emphasize this enough: your pack will be heavy!
And hiking with a pack is a much different experience than hiking without one. So the key here is to pack light.
A question we like to ask ourselves when packing is: “Do I absolutely need this?” If this answer isn’t a resounding yes, leave it behind.
You will need to provide your own hiking clothing, rain gear, and sturdy hiking footwear. We will provide group camping gear along with sleeping bags, sleeping pads, backpacks and hiking poles. If you have this gear and would like to bring your own you are more than welcome to!
The local guides will provide the group safety gear such as tarps, emergency communication devices and bear spray as well as food and other essentials. This group gear will be split amongst the group to be carried.
You can find a detailed packing list here. We will also go over gear in much more detail on our two pre-trip calls.
Sustainability is one of our core-pillars, so we love to suggest sourcing gear from friends/family or second hand stores that sell lightly used gear! If you’re buying gear new, we recommend shopping locally or from small companies in whose mission you believe. Check the packing list for some of our favorites!
Preparing For Your Trek
How difficult is this really going to be?
Expect for this trek to be quite challenging! But with challenges comes great rewards like incredible views, the satisfaction of pushing yourself physically and mentally, and strong friendships formed.
We classify this trip a difficulty level of 5 out of 5. Which means prior hiking experience is highly recommended. This is a beginner friendly backpacking trip, so no prior backpacking experience is necessary. However expect to carry a 35+ lb pack for multiple days on trail for sustained daily time. Expect elevation gain, variable terrain and weather conditions. Below are approximate daily mileages. You can check out the full detailed itinerary here.
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Day 1: Sight seeing and short hikes
Day 2: Hike to backcountry campsite- Approximately 9 miles
Day 3: Hike to next campsite - Approximately 7 miles
Day 4: Hike Out – Approximately 4 miles
Day 5: 0km
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We know, you don’t want to be the last one or hold up the group…we hear this before every trip! However, please know that we consider our group to be a team, working together on each hike. This is an incredible opportunity to ask for help and support when perhaps in your daily life you’re always the one giving it.
Our local guides and Root Tour Leaders will be checking in with the group along the way and will be adjusting pacing as needed. Let’s do this thing together!
The Food
Can backpacking meals be delicious and nutritious? I need fuel!
Our local guides do an incredible job of planning delicious and nutritious meals that can be cooked in the backcountry. And we’re talking more than just your standard dehydrated camping meals!
Some snacks will be provided, but if there’s something yummy you absolutely can’t live without, feel free to bring it along - keeping in mind the priority is to pack light.
All dietary restrictions are taken into consideration as well! If you haven’t already, please be sure to mark any dietary needs in the registration form at sign up.
Safety
Should I be worried about wildlife?
As with all of our trips, safety is our number one priority.
We expect the unexpected and will have plans for anything that could happen while on our adventures. We will have radios and other types of emergency communication devices, evacuation plans, and the local guides have current Advanced Wilderness First Aid Certificates and years of guiding experience.
There’s lots of amazing wildlife to see like elk, moose, bison, incredible birds and plants, and yes- potentially bears. In August you’re in for a treat as elk and bison are just beginning their mating season. You might see males tussling in the valleys, large herds congregating together and you might even get to hear the well-known elk bugle!
Your guides are well versed on the wildlife and how to navigate for safety. Keep in mind most wildlife aren’t interested in humans and bears eat mostly plants like blackberries, grass, and dandelions. However, we will still practice safety at the campsites like being mindful of food and hanging trash. Your guide will show you the ropes! Literally!
No Trace Left Behind
Let’s Talk Poop
There’s no way around it. Yes, you’ll be going #1 (and #2) in the great outdoors!
On the backpacking portion of the trip there will be no access to showers or flush toilets. Your guides will show you how to practice “leave no trace” practices for elimination on trails and outdoors.
We recommend purchasing a Kula Cloth and bringing along biodegradable wipes for “camp” showers, aka a quick wipe down.
Mindfulness
What if I’ve never meditated?
Have no fear! No prior meditation or mindfulness experience needed.
Nature is the ultimate teacher. Just getting out into the great outdoors has been proven to be incredibly beneficial for your mental and physical health.
Your Root Tour Leaders will provide you with simple and practical ways to keep your connection with nature, yourself, and your fellow travelers at the forefront of your experience.
But don’t worry, this won’t be a serious or quiet trip. At Root we see mindfulness as a way to participate in the ALIVENESS of life.
There will be moments you’ll be encouraged to observe silence, listen to nature, reflect on your internal experience or even possibly journal and share. And there will be many moments of raucous laughter, joyous storytelling, and playing in the dirt. Our trips have a little bit of everything!
To help you get the most out of your experience you will receive a pre-trip guide that has mindfulness and meditation practices, potential journaling prompts, and thoughtful ways to connect with nature throughout your adventure.
Final Tips
Anything else I need to know?
We’d love to impart some final words of wisdom for you here. These are tips and tricks we’ve learned over the years exploring, trekking, and guiding groups.
Pack light! The lighter the better. We cannot stress this enough! When packing ask yourself this question: “Do I absolutely need this?” If the answer is no, leave it behind.
Don’t wait to get your hiking boots! Purchase them well in advance of your hike and go for practice walks to wear them in.
Bring an extra Nalgene to use as extra heat at night. Boil some water, secure the lid on your Nalgene and pop it in the bottom of your sleeping bag for a toasty warm night.
There are definitely handy-dandy camp pillows, but you can also stuff your sleeping bag sack with clothes, jackets, etc that you brought with you for a makeshift pillow.
Tell your guides if you have a “hot spot” forming on your feet while hiking. They can help! Hot spots are red tender areas that appear before blisters form. The keyword here is before! Telling your guide early can help prevent blisters from forming.
A word about luggage. If possible, pack so that you can bring everything in a carry-on. That way if your luggage gets lost (knock on wood) you won’t be trying to piece gear together or purchase lots of expensive items last minute. If you are checking luggage then we recommend wearing your hiking boots and packing hiking essentials in your carry-on just in case!