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Talk about a hot mess.

Old Faithful has been blowing its top for generations — but these days, Yellowstone National Park workers have another eruption to worry about: tourist junk.

As of early September, Yellowstone’s Geology Team had removed more than 20,100 pieces of trash, 5,600 rocks and sticks, and 280 hats from its hydrothermal areas, according to the Yellowstone Volcanic Observatory’s USGS page.

People take photos at a sign near the North Entrance to Yellowstone National Park. Getty Images
More than 280 hats were collected by the Yellowstone National Park Geology Team from hydrothermal areas during the summer 2026 season. National Park Service photo by Margery Price

That makes this a record-setting year.

The park covers a staggering 2.2 million acres — or about 3,472 square miles of nature to tidy up. It gets 4.5 million visitors annually.

And we’re not just talking candy wrappers.

The astounding haul includes five AirPods, six Invisalign retainers, 15 fake fingernails, three golf tees, an inhaler and an Uno card.

Someone even left a glob of glittery pink children’s slime, which wound up stuck to chunks of geyserite.

“The issue is made worse by the park’s high winds: unexpected gusts easily blow away tissues, maps, food wrappers, and even heavier items like sunglasses and hats,” said Margery Price, physical science technician with the Park Geology Program.

Visitors watch and take photos as an Old Faithful Geyser eruption winds down. Getty Images
High winds contribute to the level of trash being blown around the park. ZUMAPRESS.com

Kids are apparently contributing too. Crews have recovered eight mini race cars, three bouncy balls, 22 action figures, six Junior Ranger badges, two rubber ducks, a tie-dye fidget spinner and — somehow — a McDonald’s Happy Meal toy from 2010.

Yellowstone is apparently hungry for accessories too.

Cleaners recovered 54 camera-lens caps, 47 hair ties, 42 pencils, 36 pairs of sunglasses, 20 hotel key cards and 17 pacifiers.

“And contrary (apparently) to popular belief, hot springs are not wishing wells,” Price said.

All kinds of bizarre items are found throughout the park,leaving workers busy as unofficial garbage collectors. National Park Service photo by Margery Price
Camera lens covers, binocular parts, pens, pencils, sunglasses, hair accessories, hotel keys and other items have been collected by the Yellowstone National Park Geology Team. National Park Service photo by Margery Price
More than $18 in coins, along with bills and jewelry add to the trash stash. National Park Service photo by Margery Price

Workers collected more than $18 in coins, including pesos, yen, euros and Canadian dollars.

Staff favorites include Polaroid photos, Pokemon cards, Yellowstone pressed pennies and a mysterious two-inch copy of “The Vampire Diaries.”

But throwing stuff around Yellowstone’s thermal features is no joke.

Coins, trash and other foreign objects can clog vents, alter runoff and damage delicate microbial communities.

Morning Glory Pool, not far from Old Faithful in Upper Geyser Basin, famously changed color during the 20th century, partly because visitors threw trash and other objects into it.

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