Five AirPods, six Invisalign aligners, 15 fake nails, three golf ball holders, an inhaler and Pokémon cards. What do all these objects have in common? They are items left behind in Yellowstone National Park, which has been facing a major problem: tourist trash.
According to a statement from the Yellowstone Volcanic Observatory, 2026 is already a record year for trash removal. By early September, the geology team had removed more than 20,100 pieces of litter, 5,600 rocks and twigs, and more than 280 hats and caps from the hydrothermal areas.
The park, concentrated mainly in the state of Wyoming, covers an impressive 2.2 million acres, equivalent to about 8,900 square kilometers, and receives approximately 4.5 million visitors per year.
Margery Price, a physical science technician with the Park Geology Program, told the New York Post that this problem has been worsened by the park’s strong winds. According to her, sudden gusts can easily blow away tissues, maps, food packaging and even heavier objects, such as sunglasses and hats.
Someone even left a piece of pink glittery kids’ slime, which ended up stuck to geyserite formations, a rock formed by geothermal activity. As well as eight miniature race cars, three bouncy balls, 22 action figures, six Junior Ranger badges, two rubber ducks, a colorful fidget spinner, and somehow a 2010 McDonald’s Happy Meal toy.
The accessories also appear in abundance. Among the items recovered were 54 camera lens caps, 47 hair elastics, 42 pencils, 36 pairs of sunglasses, 20 hotel key cards and 17 pacifiers.
Price even joked with the New York Post, after all, contrary to what some people apparently believe, “hot springs are not wish wells.”
Employees also collected more than $18 in coins, including pesos, yen, euros and Canadian dollars.
Among the team’s favorite finds are Polaroid photos, pressed Yellowstone coins and a mysterious copy of the series “The Vampire Diaries.”
Beyond the jokes and curiosities, the park faces a major issue that must not be ignored. Coins, trash and other odd objects can block steam vents, alter water runoff and damage extremely delicate microbial communities, compromising the balance of these unique natural environments.
