Forget bears — the national park's real threat is hats and trash clogging its famous hot springs.
Amber Harding
Published•Updated
America’s first national park has a new public enemy, and this time it's not the tourons.
Actually, it's still the tourons. But more specifically, their clothing.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, Yellowstone’s hydrothermal features — meaning hot springs, geysers and mudpots — are being choked with trash and other items that don't belong there. And one of the most common culprits? Hats.
Ball caps, bucket hats and beanies are routinely fished out of the park’s iconic hot springs, where they can disrupt the fragile chemistry of these features.
"So far in 2025, the Yellowstone Geology crew has collected more than 13,000 pieces of trash, 4,000 rocks and sticks, and over 300 hats (estimated to be worth upwards of $6,000!) from hydrothermal areas," the USGS reported.
One hot spring, Morning Glory Pool, was named in the 1880s for its vivid blue hue. Today? It’s a murky blend of orange, green and yellow — colors that may have been influenced by "coins, trash, and other debris" tossed into the pool over the decades, according to the USGS.
"Debris thrown into a hot spring can irreversibly change its behavior, resulting in lower temperature, changes to color, and altered eruption behavior," the report noted. In other words, once damaged, these rare features may never return to their original state.
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With more than 4.7 million visitors in 2024 — and high winds across much of the park — rangers say most litter is accidental. But it’s a massive job to clean up, and it takes a toll.
And no, you can’t just skim the water with a pool net to get the hats and trash out. Cleaning debris out of boiling hot springs requires a dedicated team of geologists wielding fishing rods, extra-long slotted spoons and 30-foot grabber poles.
Hang onto your hat — literally — when visiting Yellowstone's hot springs.
(Getty Images)
Among the more bizarre items recovered this year: a Birkenstock sandal, a pizza box with slices still inside, a fake Louis Vuitton bucket hat, a stuffed koala, a Polaroid photo of Excelsior Geyser (found inside Excelsior Geyser), and a ball cap that read, "I PEE IN THE LAKE."
Yellowstone’s official advice?
"Hold on tight to your hats, stay on marked boardwalks and trails, and make sure all your trash (even the food!) ends up in a trash can."
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