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.
In addition to 5,600 rocks and sticks removed from Yellowstone thermal features, park staff also cleared out 20,100 pieces of trash and other debris and 280 hats, the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory said in a report Monday.
Last year, by Sept. 8, 2025, park staff had found more hats, at more than 300, but less trash and sticks — 13,000 pieces of trash and 4,000 rocks and sticks, according to a report from the observatory at the time.
Foreign materials introduced to hydrothermal features at Yellowstone can have permanent effects, including blocking the supply of water to and from the features, polluting the chemicals and sediments inside and even changing the colors, officials said in Monday’s report.
The debris found so far in 2026 includes $18 in coins and bills, both foreign and domestic; five Apple AirPods; 36 pairs of sunglasses; an inhaler; three golf tees, 54 camera lens caps; 47 hair ties; 20 hotel key cards; six Invisalign dental retainers; 15 fake nails; children’s toys and trading cards, and even a small book, the observatory said.
There was also “abundant plastic and paper trash,” observatory officials said, some of which ended up deposited in thermal features by the high winds within the park.
Staff at the park are not able to find and remove all of the debris.
Margery Price, a physical science technician at the park and the author of Monday’s report, told Outside magazine that “some areas are shallow, and we can see most if not all of what’s in them. Others, it’s just not possible for us to retrieve stuff that is too deep, at a challenging angle, or too far out from the edge. Most things sink eventually — especially once they get saturated with minerals.”
The observatory said that after the 2026 season, any hats still in wearable condition would be donated to local organizations near the park, 96% of which is in Wyoming, 3% of which is in Montana and 1% of which is in Idaho. Officials did not say whether any of the other items found would be donated.
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