Yellowstone Workers Pull Record Amount of Junk From Hot Springs

Look: Record-setting Yellowstone trash includes 280 hats, 6 retainers

Yellowstone National Park said a record amount of trash was removed from the park's hydrothermal areas so far this year, including 280 hats.

You Won't Believe What People Dropped Into Yellowstone's Hydrothermal Vents This Year

“Among all that debris have been a lot of interesting items, some wacky, some yucky, and others... puzzling?”

Yellowstone staff remove record amount of trash from hydrothermal pools, including hotel keys

Yellowstone National Park staff have removed a record amount of debris from thermal features so far this year, from rocks and sticks to trash and other items.

11 Things Park Staff Found in Yellowstone’s Hydrothermal Areas this Summer

Objects found by Yellowstone's Geology Program team are laid out here like a game of "I Spy." Can you spot the jingle bell, compass, and micro-SD card? Credit: National Park Service photo by Margery Price, September 2026

'Vampire Diaries' and fake nails among Yellowstone’s odd 2026 finds

Did you lose an item at Yellowstone National Park in 2026? Explore the most interesting items that were found in hydrothermal areas.

54 Lens Caps Have Been Removed From Yellowstone's Hydrothermal Areas So Far This Year

Yellowstone National Park staff perform many essential duties across the park's 2.2 million acres, including collecting litter people lose in its sensitive hydrothermal areas. Places like Old Faithful, the Midway Geyser Basin, and Morning Glory Pool are home to a lot of trash, including, as it turns out, a bunch of lens caps.