TRAVEL | HIDDEN CORNERS

California's Glass Beach

From 1950 to 1967, state officials say, a lumber company owned the land, but most of Fort Bragg used this beach as a dump, leaving tons of garbage, glass, china, spark plugs and engine blocks to rust and crumble at the edge of the Pacific, occasionally reducing the pile with a fire or two.

Then in the 1960s, people wised up and cleaned up, allowing nature to transform that embarrassing history into a striking attribute.

Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times
In 2003, the state bought the 38-acre property for $2.48 million. So now Glass Beach, just south of Pudding Creek, is part of MacKerricher State Park.


Polished
Stroll
Cup
Waves

Sunset
Handful
Beach
View


READ MORE ABOUT GLASS BEACH:

• Lives buffeted by the forces of nature