Glass Beach

Glass Beach is a shoreline in Fort Bragg, California, covered with smooth glass fragments in white, brown, and green scattered among natural pebbles and rocks. These rounded pieces formed over decades as waves tumbled discarded glass bottles and containers on the seabed.

From 1906 to 1967, this coastal strip served as a municipal dump where residents threw glass, appliances, and household items over cliffs into the sea. The dumping stopped in the 1960s as attitudes toward ocean waste shifted, allowing nature to work on the discarded materials.

The beach has become a symbol of environmental awareness, where visitors can witness how a neglected place transformed into a protected natural area. The smooth glass pieces scattered throughout remind people of nature's power to change human waste into something beautiful.

Access to the beach is via a paved walking path of about a quarter mile from the free parking area at Noyo Headlands Park near MacKerricher State Park. The path is easy to walk and well marked, making for a relaxed stroll to reach the shoreline.

The shimmering glass pieces covering the beach today come not from modern trash but from decades of household items thrown into the sea before and after World War II. Visitors now collect these bottle-green, amber, and cream-colored treasures, making this a place where nature has created something beautiful from human carelessness.

Location: California

GPS coordinates: 38.06190,-122.17900

Latest update: December 9, 2025 18:44