Yellowstone Shares the Strangest Things Tourists Dropped Into Geysers This Year
If you lost a hat during a windy day at Yellowstone this summer, park workers may have found it. Over 280 hats have been pulled from the park’s hydrothermal areas so far in 2026.
The hats weren’t even the strangest things they found. The list also includes five AirPods, six Invisalign retainers, an Uno card, and a tiny copy of The Vampire Diaries.
As of early September, Yellowstone’s Geology team had removed more than 20,100 pieces of trash and 5,600 rocks and sticks. It has already been a record-setting year for the park.
Some of the objects were probably thrown in, while others fell through boardwalks or blew away in strong winds. Either way, park employees have to retrieve them because anything that doesn’t belong there can damage a hot spring or geyser.
Workers Found AirPods, Retainers and an Uno Card
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According to the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, some of the most confusing finds were three Delta flight pins, three golf tees, an inhaler and an Uno card.
The grossest group included six Invisalign retainers, 15 fake nails and several floss picks. The team collected eight small race cars, three bouncy balls, 22 figurines, two rubber ducks and six Junior Ranger badges. Workers also found glittery pink slime stuck to pieces of geyserite.
The Geology team also found seven instant photos, including several pictures of the same hydrothermal features where they ended up. Another favorite was a two-inch copy of The Vampire Diaries.
One Hat Simply Says ‘COWBOY HAT’
The 280 hats included one from the 2026 FIFA World Cup and a Roblox bucket hat from St. Kitts and Nevis. Another baseball cap had the words “COWBOY HAT” printed across the front.
Any hats that can still be worn will be washed and donated after the season ends. Sunglasses were another common item, and workers collected 36 pairs.
Workers also picked up 54 camera lens caps, 47 hair ties, 42 pencils, 20 hotel key cards and 17 pacifiers. They recovered more than $18 in coins, including pesos, yen, euros and Canadian money.
Trash Can Permanently Change a Hot Spring
A coin may seem harmless, but it can clog a vent and hurt the bacteria and algae living in the water. Other objects may block the water supply, change where it flows, or release chemicals.
This has already happened at Yellowstone. Morning Glory Pool changed color after visitors threw coins, rocks, and other trash into the water for decades. Minute Geyser once sent water as high as 60 feet into the air. It stopped erupting in 1947 after someone threw a rock into its vent and workers couldn’t get it back out.
Yellowstone recommends keeping tissues, wrappers, and other loose items inside a bag or deep pocket. Visitors should also remove hats on windy days and never leave a boardwalk to retrieve something that blew away.
