One person’s trash is another’s treasure. And sometimes, nature can transform trash into unimaginable treasures. That’s how California’s Glass Beach became the glittering natural wonder it is today.
In 1906, this beach near Fort Bragg and MacKerricher State Park served as a water dump site. The area quickly filled with trash. When the trash piles grew too large, locals would set fire to them to reduce their size. These conditions remained until 1967 when the California State Water Resources Control Board closed the site.
While clean-up projects attempted to beautify the landscape, the beach’s waves impacted local scenery the most. After years of water rushing over the rubble, the shores began sparkling with sea glass.
Today, the amount of sea glass is dwindling due to guests taking pieces home with them. If you want to witness Glass Beach’s stunning sights before all the glass disappears, take a virtual tour of the area in the gallery below.