YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK — Lost a retainer in Grand Prismatic Spring or maybe a baby’s binky at Steamboat Geyser? Yellowstone National Park’s (YNP) Geology Program staff probably found it in its season-long cleanup of hot pools and geysers.
In this week’s Caldera Chronicles column, YNP Geology Program Physical Science Technician Margery Price details the debris found and removed this summer from features in the nation’s first national park. YNP sees more than 4.5 million visitors per year, and litter must constantly be removed from the fragile attractions. Last year, Geology Program staff removed 300 hats, a pizza box and more from features around the park. This summer, along with over 280 hats, staff also found 54 camera lens caps, 17 baby pacifiers, and a 2-inch copy of The Vampire Diaries.
“No matter the type of debris, it needs to be removed,” Price wrote. “Foreign material of any kind can damage or permanently alter a hydrothermal feature, whether from clogging its water supply, blocking or diverting its runoff channel, or polluting it with chemicals and sediment. Morning Glory Pool, in Upper Geyser Basin, famously changed its color in the twentieth century as a result of trash and items thrown in by visitors.”
The Geology Program staff is trained in safe hydrothermal navigation, according to the column, and those members perform most of the removal work. Many methods have been used over the decades for removing debris and garbage from hydrothermal features. In the 1970s, staff went so far as to partly drain Morning Glory Pool to make it easier to retrieve trash.
As of early September, the geology team had removed more than 20,000 pieces of trash, 5,600 sticks and rocks, and more than 280 hats from features around the park. The column states that this has been a record-setting year. Learn more about items that have been pulled from hot springs below:
- 280 hats: Favorites this year included a FIFA 2026 Men’s World Cup hat, a baseball hat with the words “COWBOY HAT” on it, and a Roblox bucket hat from St. Kitts and Nevis. After the season wraps up, all wearable hats will be washed and donated to local organizations.
- $18 in coins: “Contrary to (apparently) popular belief, hot springs are not wishing wells!” the column states. Coins can clog hydrothermal feature vents and harm bacterial and algal formations, which can take months or years to reverse. The monies removed this summer include U.S. coins, pesos, yen, euros and Canadian dollars.
- 5 AirPods and earbuds
- 3 Delta flight pins
- 1 inhaler
- 3 golf tees
- 1 Uno card
- 54 camera lens caps
- 47 hair elastics
- 17 baby pacifiers
- 20 hotel key cards
- 42 pencils
- 36 pairs of sunglasses
- 6 Invisalign retainers
- 15 fake nails
- 1 lump of “glittery pink children’s slime”
- 8 matchbox cars
- 3 bouncy balls
- 6 Junior Ranger badges
- 22 assorted figurines and trinkets: “It’s not uncommon for fun toys and trinkets from the little ones to get accidentally dropped off boardwalks into hydrothermal areas,” Price wrote. Highlights include a rainbow tie-dye fidget spinner, two rubber ducks, and a McDonald’s toy from 2010.
- 7 instant/Polaroid photos: These include several that depicted the hydrothermal feature in which they were found.
- 6 YNP pressed pennies
- 4 Pokemon cards and figurines
- 1 tiny copy of The Vampire Diaries
“Curious how you can help?” the column asks. “If you’re traveling through Yellowstone National Park, especially in hydrothermal areas, make sure to ‘stash your trash’ — put wrappers, tissues, and other easily windblown items deep in your pockets, a bag, or, even better, a trash can!”
