Yellowstone’s Hot Springs: Don’t Lose Your Hat!

If you’re planning a trip to Yellowstone National Park, you might want to hold onto your hat—literally. The park’s famous hot springs, geysers, and mud pots may be beautiful to look at, but they’re no place for lost items.

By September 2025, park staff had removed more than 10,000 objects from thermal features in Yellowstone. Among them: 300 hats, according to the Smithsonian Magazine. Whether it’s baseball caps or wide-brimmed sun hats, visitors’ headwear has a habit of flying off into the wind—and landing in hot water.

Yellowstone is one of the most visited national parks in the country, attracting nearly 4 million visitors each year. With so many people walking along boardwalks near bubbling springs and steaming vents, it’s no surprise that a few personal belongings get away. But what may seem like a harmless accident can cause serious harm to the park’s delicate ecosystem.

Even small objects, such as coins, plastic wrappers, or peanut shells, can change the temperature and chemistry of a hot spring. Over time, this can damage the natural beauty of these rare features.

A famous example is the Morning Glory Pool, one of Yellowstone’s most iconic and colorful hot springs. In the late 1800s, this pool was a vibrant deep blue or purple color. But today, it appears orange and red—mostly because of years of trash thrown or dropped into the water. The debris affected the bacteria that live in the pool, which are responsible for its brilliant colors.

That’s why park crews work hard to remove everything they can from the springs. Rangers and scientists use special tools to carefully fish out items without harming the natural formations. In some cases, removing trash can take hours of delicate work.

The National Park Service reminds visitors that it’s not only dangerous to get too close to the hot springs—it’s also against the rules to throw anything into them. Temperatures in some of these pools can reach over 190 degrees Fahrenheit, and the ground around them is often thin and unstable. Several injuries and even deaths have occurred when people stepped off the designated walkways.

Most of the hats and trash found in the springs weren’t tossed in on purpose—they simply blew off or slipped from pockets. That’s why park officials encourage everyone to secure their belongings before approaching thermal features. Holding your hat, tying it down, or leaving it behind in the car can help protect the park for future generations.

Yellowstone’s thermal features are not only beautiful—they’re also rare. The park is home to more than half of the world’s geysers and countless other geothermal wonders that can’t be found anywhere else. Keeping them clean and safe means being aware of our actions and showing respect for nature.

So next time you visit Yellowstone, enjoy the view, take plenty of pictures—and make sure your hat stays on your head. The springs may be hot, but keeping the park clean is the coolest thing you can do.