A small section of the California coastline boasts a beach made entirely from discarded glass. Many years ago, the residents of Fort Bragg dumped their waste into the ocean – everything from old cars and appliances to glass bottles. Gradually, the constant crashing of ocean waves tumbled the glass into smaller pieces, leaving them with smooth, polished edges. Thankfully, in the mid-1960s, the beach underwent a massive clean-up and soon became incorporated into MacKerricher State Park (est. 1952).
Clear glass is mixed in with hues of green, blue and brown – the original colours found in bottled packaged goods. Other colours, like red and purple, can be seen sprinkled throughout the glass carpet. Visitors to Glass Beach are encouraged to enjoy the unusual surface and take photographs – but no souvenirs are allowed. Nature has reclaimed this stretch of California's shoreline and, the state park now protects this collection of once-discarded glass.