Glass Beach, Beach with sea glass in Kauai County, United States.

Glass Beach lies on Kauai's west coast near Eleele, where black sand and lava outcrops are scattered with thousands of wave-tumbled glass pebbles in white, green, and brown. The fragments come from a former landfill and have been rounded by surf over decades.

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.

The beach sits beside the site of a former landfill on Kauai's west coast, where discarded glass and scrap were dumped in the mid-1900s. Waves have since rounded the glass into pebbles, while heavier metal pieces stayed behind in the lava rock. Look for rusted fragments lodged in the stone rather than lying loose on the sand.