Yellowstone National Park recovers record amount of trash from hydrothermal features

Yellowstone National Park’s geology team has recovered a record-breaking amount of debris from the park’s hydrothermal features during the 2026 season. As of early September, crews have removed more than 20,100 pieces of paper and plastic trash, 5,600 rocks and sticks, and over 280 hats from areas such as the Old Faithful geyser and Midway Geyser Basin.

This haul represents approximately a 50 percent increase compared to the previous year, coinciding with high visitor numbers. Frequently recovered items include camera lens caps, hair ties, sunglasses, and pencils, alongside more unusual objects like Invisalign retainers, AirPods, and various foreign coins.

Park officials emphasize that removing foreign material is critical to preventing damage to fragile hydrothermal features. Debris can clog water supplies, divert runoff channels, or introduce harmful chemicals and sediment. For example, the Morning Glory Pool famously underwent color changes in the twentieth century due to trash left by visitors.