| When visiting the
Northern California Coast, the beaches are much more rugged and
complex to look at than the wide, sandy Southern California
counterparts.
Glass Beach, CA is one of the best beaches to gain this unique
perspective and appreciation as you stand and gaze at the
objects that fill the beach. Glass Beach in Fort Bragg wasn't
even on our radar till someone sent a book about the glass
beaches and this particular California gem, located along the
coast north of San Francisco and south of Humboldt County on the
Mendocino coast.
Known for the quantity of
sea glass strewn along its shores, the once public dump (like so
many of California's beaches were around the turn of the 20th
century) was shuttered in 1967, but not without leaving its
mark. Shards and bits of glass, along with other trash that
remained were weather beaten, ocean bound, and ground or
smoothed to interesting shapes. Glass Beach is filled with
smooth, round pebbles and pieces of sea glass that glisten,
providing interesting textures and colors unlike other beaches
you'll find in California.
Part of the MacKerricher State Park, visitors are not allowed to
collect and remove the objects found on the beach, visible
during low tide especially. Wandering the beach like a
beachcomber looking for booty or buried treasure, there's an
entire fan base of sea glass collectors who visit this beach,
bringing more traffic to the region than would normally occur
otherwise. They even hold conventions annually to share, buy and
sell sea glass, though the events are held in larger cities than
Fort Bragg.
Word to the wise: wear sturdy shoes along this stretch of an
abandon garbage pit. Accessing the beach from Fort Bragg's Elm
Streets makes this one of the best beaches to visit along the
north coast. What's especially nice is that Fort Bragg features
the most hotels in the area, and a few chain hotels that you
don't routinely find elsewhere in this neck of the woods (and
beach).
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