Yellowstone visitors used Handkerchief Pool like washing machine; cleanup removed 1.5 bushels debris

Handkerchief Pool was a visitor favourite for its ability to pull in handkerchiefs and return them washed and clean. (NPS photos) Long before Yellowstone National Park became known for strict rules around its hot springs and geysers, visitors were encouraged to marvel at some of the park’s unusual thermal features.One of them was Handkerchief Pool, a small spring in the Black Sand Basin. According to National Park Service, visitors could put a handkerchief into it and watch it disappear into the water. The item would then come back to the surface after being moved through the pool’s water currents. Vistors believed the items came back scrubed and clean.But visitors did not limit themselves to handkerchiefs. Over time, people began putting other objects into the pool. This gradually turned a natural thermal feature into a collection point for rubbish and other items and started to interfere with the pool’s natural activity.Handkerchief Pool’s activity eventually stopped in 1926. According to Yellowstone Science, a log was shoved into the pool’s vent, blocking the feature and stopping the movement of water that produced its unusual effect. Visitors, however, continued to throw object...