Glass Beach

Glass Beach is a shoreline on Kauai's west coast covered with thousands of smooth glass pieces in shades of white, green, and brown mixed into black sand and rocky outcrops. The fragments have been tumbled by ocean waves for decades, creating polished pebbles that blend into the coastal landscape.

The beach formed from a former landfill that operated in the mid-1900s when the area served as a dumping ground for waste glass and other refuse. Decades of wave action smoothed the discarded fragments into rounded pebbles along the shore.

Local residents and visitors collect sea glass fragments while following guidelines to maintain the natural character of this coastal location.

Wear sturdy shoes because the rocky surfaces and glass fragments can be sharp and uneven underfoot. Low tide offers safer walking conditions and better access to different parts of the coastline.

Metal objects and other materials from the old dump remain embedded in nearby lava rock, creating an unusual blend of geology and industrial remains. Walking across the beach reveals layers of this unexpected history mixed directly into the natural stone formations.