Glass Beach

Glass Beach is a shoreline section in Fort Bragg, northern California, where rounded glass pieces mix with coarse sand and pebbles. The colored fragments lie above the normal tide line and blend with driftwood and shell pieces along the rugged waterfront.

The town used this spot as a public dump from 1906 until 1967, when new environmental rules banned coastal waste disposal. After closure, cleanup efforts removed the largest debris and left the remaining glass pieces to the surf.

The shoreline attracts photographers and collectors interested in observing how natural processes alter discarded bottles and containers over decades. Smooth colored pieces form when salt water and wave action shape the abandoned material left behind by earlier generations.

A short footpath of about a quarter mile leads from the free parking area at Noyo Headlands Park down to the waterfront. The terrain is partly steep and slippery, so sturdy shoes help when climbing over the rocks.

Though the shore once displayed thousands of colored glass pieces, years of visitor collecting have reduced the amount noticeably. Some areas now show more regular gravel than glass, as waves continue to wash up new material from the seabed.

Location: California

Made from material: sand, sea glass

Address: Glass Beach, Fort Bragg, CA 95437, USA

GPS coordinates: 39.45361,-123.81306

Latest update: December 4, 2025 14:21