Yellowstone park staff collect record trash from hot springs

What Happened

Yellowstone National Park workers have removed a record-setting 20,100 pieces of trash from the park's hydrothermal areas so far this year. The items recovered include 280 hats, 54 camera lens caps, 47 hair ties, 42 pencils, 36 pairs of sunglasses, 20 hotel key cards, and 17 baby pacifiers. Geological staff also found six Invisalign retainers, eight mini race cars, three golf tees, and 15 fake nails.

Causes And Impact

Strong winds make the trash problem much worse by blowing away items like tissues, maps, food wrappers, hats, and sunglasses. Some visitors also treat the hot springs like wishing wells, dropping in more than 18 dollars in coins during the summer of 2026 in currencies such as dollars, pesos, yen, and euros. Margery Price, a physical science technician with the park geology program, explains that foreign material can damage or permanently alter a hydrothermal feature by clogging its water supply, blocking runoff channels, or polluting it with chemicals and sediment. In the 1900s, the park's Morning Glory Pool changed color due to left-behind trash and earned the nickname "trash can" by the 1950s.

Action And Future Plans

With more than 4.5 million visitors each year, Yellowstone is one of the most highly visited national parks in the United States. While staff know that much of the trash blows away by accident, they ask visitors to securely pack away their belongings in windy areas. At the end of the season, staff plan to wash and donate all of the hats left behind.