Glass Beach, California: When nature turns trash into tourist attraction

When you are in California and don’t take out time to visit the Glass Beach near Fort Bragg, that’s when you miss out on something truly interesting.

For those who are new to this, Glass Beach is one of the most unique tourist attractions you will find in California, especially in the Fort Bragg area. This beach is one of the most sought-after beaches because it is covered in colourful, smooth glass pebbles. Yes, you read that right, here, instead of sandy shores, you will find glass pebbles.

Piqued your interest yet?


So the history of Glass Beach goes like this: Back in 1906, the residents of Fort Bragg made this area into a dump site where they discarded heaps of glass refuse among others. It was a mix of glass and metals. By 1943, this dump site reached capacity and the locals had to move their glass trash to another site nearby. By the end of 1967, the Fort Bragg area had three dump sites named Site 1, Site 2 and Site 3.



This was also when they realised that dumping garbage in this manner was not the right thing to do. The area remained off-limits for a long time, and by then, the ocean had consumed all biodegradable matter. The metals were picked and repurposed for various projects. All that remained were the glass and ceramics.

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Do you know what happens to something that gets tossed around for several years by waves? Take river rocks for instance, they turn smooth. The same thing happened to these glass and ceramic refuse. Years of being tumbled by the ocean turned these glass into polished sea glass. Now imagine an entire beach filled with these smooth colourful glass pebbles.


There are, in total, three such glass beaches in the Fort Bragg area.



Today, Glass Beach is a protected area and a part of MacKerricher State Park. Every year, thousands of visitors visit the beach to enjoy the unique beauty. It’s all good as long as it is simply enjoyment. It becomes a problem when visitors start to take some of these pretty glass pebbles back with them. The ideal thing would be to spend your day at the beach, do cool photography and head back home without the glass pebbles.

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But that’s not what happened with Site 1. Too many people picked one too many glass pebbles from the beach over time. The present-day Site 1 isn’t the same anymore. Now you will find most of these glass pebbles in Site 2 and 3.

1. What is Glass Beach in California?
   Glass Beach is a unique shoreline located in Fort Bragg, California, known for its colorful sea glass covering the shore.
2. Can I collect sea glass at Glass Beach?
   Collecting sea glass was once a common practice, it is now discouraged to preserve the natural beauty of Glass Beach.
3. Is Glass Beach open year-round?
   Yes, Glass Beach is open year-round and is located within MacKerricher State Park.