Glass Beach

Glass Beach sits on the rugged Mendocino Coast where the Pacific Ocean transformed an old dump site into one of California’s most unique natural wonders. The beach is carpeted with smooth, frosted pieces of sea glass in every color imaginable — emerald beer bottles, cobalt medicine jars, and rare red fragments that catch the light like scattered jewels. Low tide reveals the best collecting, though taking glass is now prohibited to preserve this fragile ecosystem.

Access requires a short scramble down a steep, unofficial trail from the bluff parking area. Winter storms replenish the glass supply but make the descent treacherous. The beach is small and can feel crowded during summer weekends when tourists descend with cameras and kids hunting for treasures.

Sea glass treasure beach on the Mendocino Coast