Yosemite National Park’s iconic hydrothermal vents are truly amazing to behold. They’re also a hotspot for amazingly weird things to get lost in—and not always by accident. Every year, Yosemite’s team has been sharing a list of objects they found in hydrothermal areas. This year’s stash does not disappoint.
In a blog post, Yellowstone scientist Margery Price declared that, as of early September 2026, the team collected more than 20,100 pieces of trash, 5,600 rocks and sticks, and over 280 hats in what she called a “record-setting year.”
Some items—hair ties, sunglasses, camera lens covers—more or less fell into the category of “oops, I forgot that.” There were also many children’s toys, such as rubber ducks, race cars, bouncy balls, fidget spinners, and Pokemon cards. Then there are the more bizarre objects: six Invisalign retainers, a copy of The Vampire Diaries, and “one lump of glittery pink children’s slime stuck to a handful of geyserite sinter pieces.” The coin stash added up to around $18.
“Contrary to (apparently) popular belief, hot springs are not wishing wells!” Price wrote.
Irreparable consequences
Yosemite caretakers have battled lost-and-found items since the park opened to the public in 1872. Vandalism has actually caused irreversible damage to the park’s iconic geysers, according to the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory.
“No matter the type of debris, it needs to be removed,” Price wrote. “Foreign material of any kind can damage or permanently alter a hydrothermal feature, whether from clogging its water supply, blocking or diverting its runoff channel, or polluting it with chemicals and sediment.”
In 1947, a visitor threw a rock into the Minute Geyser’s vent. Caretakers couldn’t remove the rock, and to this day the geyser’s larger vent is on forced hiatus. Morning Glory Pool is another victim. This hot spring used to be a clear blue, but continued littering made it an ideal home for microbes, whose presence has dulled its color.
Yellowstone staff constantly make cleaning trips around the park, which include partly draining Morning Glory to pull out trash. According to Price, these objects aren’t necessarily there due to littering, although food scraps like orange peels or sunflower seed shells do turn up. Millions of visitors trek up the boardwalks over Yellowstone’s famous hydrothermal areas, and people are bound to accidentally drop or lose things. These tourist hotspots are also constantly buffeted by strong winds, which blow away lightweight items like tissues and hats.
Keep your hats close, your trash closer
One can imagine how grueling the cleanup work can be. As Price noted, the Yosemite team has to do that “all in addition to their other work of chemical and temperature monitoring, hydrothermal area incident assessment, and public education!”
So, if you want to help the team preserve this beautiful park, do make sure to stash your trash and easily windblown items deep in your pockets or a bag—or better yet, a trash can. Keep your hat and other belongings close when a strong gust hits. Following these tips will also keep you safe!
