Tourists have ruined one of Yellowstone’s most gorgeous thermal pools — turning its once pristine blue waters into a mishmash of colors because of years of accumulated coins and trash, officials said. The Morning Glory Pool — perched near the famous “Old Faithful” geyser — was for years a must-see attraction in the Upper Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park, according to Cowboy State Daily. “There are some lovely quotes about its beauty and stunning blue colors, and likening it to the Morning Glory flower,” Yellowstone National Park historian Alicia Murphy told the outlet.
But those early visitors from more than a century ago weren’t all that concerned about the environment — and did not practice the stringent “leave no trace” policy that outdoor enthusiasts live by today, according to park officials. The brilliant blue pool of scalding water was treated like a wishing well, as visitors chucked coins, handkerchiefs, trash and all sorts of other debris into its depths. Murphy said tourists often tossed things into whatever crevice or hole they could find in America’s first national park —established on March 1, 1872 — in the hope that it would make something interesting happen.
“People didn’t understand the plumbing and how geysers worked,” she said. “There were lots of ideas about, ‘If we throw something into this pool, we might be able to make it erupt.’” The items corrupted the pool’s natural beauty, and its deep-blue water.