Yellowstone geology team collects over 23,000 pieces of trash from thermal features

Right · 2Yellowstone National Park's geology team had collected more than 23,000 pieces of trash from geysers, hot springs, boardwalks and surrounding areas as of early October, according to National Geographic as relayed by Fox News. 1 2 Right · 2The haul included roughly 10,700 rocks and sticks, more than 360 hats, camera lens caps, hair ties, pacifiers, five AirPods, three Delta flight pins, a single Uno card, dental retainers, rubber ducks, international coins, golf tees and an inhaler. 1 2 Right · 2The reports describe this as a record-setting year for trash collection, which the park's geology team manages. Yellowstone welcomed over 4.7 million visitors in 2025, according to the National Park Service, and debris builds up especially in high-traffic areas such as Old Faithful and the Midway Geyser Basin. 1 2

Right · 2Margery Price, a physical science technician with the park's geology program, told National Geographic that most of the items are believed to be accidental; some, such as food wrappers and maps, may have been blown in by the park's strong winds. 1 2 Right · 2According to the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, any foreign material can harm a hydrothermal feature by clogging its water supply, polluting the water or blocking its runoff channel, and even natural items like rocks and sticks must be removed because they can cause clogging. Chemicals from microplastics can also enter the water and affect the microbes that give the pools their colours. 1 2 Right · 2As historical precedent, Morning Glory Pool changed colour in the 20th century after visitors threw trash and other items into it; staff called it the "garbage can" from the 1950s. The debris cooled the water and let orange and yellow bacteria grow, and rangers partially drained the pool in the 1970s to remove debris, though its original blue did not fully return. 1 2

Right · 1Fox News Digital said it had reached out to Yellowstone National Park for comment; no park response is included in the coverage. 1