Yellowstone Removes 20,000+ Items From Geysers and Hot Springs, Including Hats and Pokemon Cards

Yellowstone removed 20,100 items from geysers and hot springs in 2026, including hats, Pokemon cards, and AirPods. Park officials urge visitors to 'stash you...

Editorial Desk

September 15, 2026 One Min Read

POLICY WIRE — City, Country — Yellowstone National Park has seen a record number of items removed from its geysers and hot springs this year, with over 20,100 pieces of debris collected as of September, according to the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory.

The park’s geology team reported removing more than 5,600 rocks and sticks, along with 280 hats, as well as unusual items like camera lenses, jewelry, baby pacifiers, and even Pokemon cards. The effort is part of an ongoing initiative to protect the park’s delicate hydrothermal features.

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Visitors are being urged to secure all belongings before exploring the area, as losing items in the hot springs can be extremely dangerous. Park officials warned that wandering off trails risks both environmental damage and personal harm, given the scalding water temperatures. The team also tries to repurpose some of the collected items, such as donating clean hats to local organizations.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)

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