Coast & Sea · California
Glass Beach
A beach of sea-tumbled glass jewels
TypeCoast & Sea
StateCalifornia
Best seasonYear-round (low tide for the glass)
How to visitFree (MacKerricher State Park); collecting prohibited
A Mendocino-coast cove where decades of dumped glass have been tumbled by the surf into smooth, jewel-bright pebbles that glitter at low tide. A strange, beautiful accident of history — look, photograph, but leave the glass.
The shot
Sun catching the sea glass at low tide.
Nearby & worth pairing
- Fort Bragg
- Mendocino
- Skunk Train
- Pacific Coast Highway
Access, fees, permits, and tour availability change with the season and the managing agency (tribal park, state park, BLM, or NPS) — confirm current rules and reservations before you go, tread lightly on sacred and fragile sites, and pack out everything you bring.
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