Residents of Fort Bragg, California used a local beach as an impromptu dump. Household items, glass, appliances, and even cars were chucked over a cliff, landing onto the beaches below. The beaches that received the refuse were referred to as “The Dumps”. Thankfully, this practice eventually came to an end.

Glass Beach in Fort Bragg, California It is illegal to remove any glass from Glass Beach, but this hasn’t stopped people from taking what seems like a harmless amount. Over the years thousands of these pocketfuls have depleted the beach of its namesake glass.

Collecting Sea Glass At Glass Beach The world-famous Glass Beach in Fort Bragg is located in the boundary of MacKerricher State Park, which means all of the sea glass and resources are protected by law and you may not collect or take any from the site.

You’re trespassing, it’s dangerous, and it’s illegal. The reason the glass is there is that for many years people threw trash off a cliff into the ocean.

Beach access is now closed – Glass Beach “Beautiful.” “Ice spot for a picnic lunch, not much glass anymore!

Sea glass takes 20 to 40 years, and sometimes as much as 100 to 200 years, to acquire its characteristic texture and shape. It is also colloquially referred to as “drift glass” from the longshore drift process that forms the smooth edges.

Glass Beach is a beach adjacent to MacKerricher State Park near Fort Bragg, California, named from a time when it was abundant with sea glass created from years of dumping garbage into an area of coastline near the northern part of the town.

There is so much broken ‘stuff’ – along with wires, chunks of twisted metal and shards of all shapes and sizes. Be sure to watch your step. This is not a place to walk barefoot on the beach.

FORT BRAGG — Pee yew! If you’ve noticed a funky smell south of town — you’re not alone. The wastewater facility is located on the Coastal Trail, so you may notice a stronger odor out on the bluffs.

Glass Beach is a beach adjacent to MacKerricher State Park near Fort Bragg, California, named from a time when it was abundant with sea glass created from years of dumping garbage into an area of coastline near the northern part of the town. It is illegal to collect glass at this state park.

One of Fort Bragg’s main attractions, Glass Beach is a beautiful beach filled with seaglass and great for beachcombing with family and friends. It is a part of the MacKerricher State Park and easily accessible from the Coastal Trail.

Glass Beach. Show map of California. Show map of the United States. Glass Beach is a beach adjacent to MacKerricher State Park near Fort Bragg, California, that is abundant in sea glass created from years of dumping garbage into an area of coastline near the northern part of the town.

Well from what I heard, the Glass Beach area used to be a garbage dump from about 1906 to 1967. In the late 1960s dumping was prohibited. Over the years the natural pounding force of the waves broke down the glass debris and smoothed it down. Hence the name of Glass Beach. Unfortunately, there is not much of this sea glass left.

About 1,000 to 1,200 tourists visit Fort Bragg’s glass beaches each day in the summer. Most collect some glass.