Glass Beach, Fort Bragg, CA - California Beaches

About Glass Beach in Fort Bragg, California

Glass Beach is a well-known beach in Fort Bragg and might be the most-searched beach in all of California. Glass Beach gets its name from the smooth colorful glass that is mixed into the pebbly beach. It is the best of the California beaches with sea glass.

This site was once a trash dump and the broken bottles from garbage cans of local residents have been transformed into little treasures to be found and photographed. 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 visitors have pilfered it piece by piece and depleted the beach of its namesake glass. Sea glass is still abundant, but nothing like it used to be.

Photographers will love this beach not only for the colorful beach, but also for the countless rocks, coves, and tidepools. There is so much to see and explore here. Kids will find Glass Beach interesting and want to wander around, but watch them near the water which can be dangerous.

A flat paved path called Noyo Headlands Trail (formerly Noyo Point Road) meanders south following the rugged shoreline to other beaches that have sea glass, but in lower amounts. In about half a mile, a side trail goes out onto a point with a compass rose and wooden benches. Beyond that the path continues for 2.5 miles to Noyo Bay Beach.

Dirt footpaths on the bluff lead north to Pudding Creek Beach where a paved multi-use trail crosses over an old train trestle. The scenic trek to that beach is about 3/4 of a mile. All of these trails on the bluffs are part of the California Coastal Trail.

Access to Glass Beach is from a wide path starting from the parking area on Glass Beach Road a couple blocks west of Highway 1 on West Elm Street. The lot is signed Noyo Headlands Park and is managed by the city although most of this land is part of MacKerricher State Park.