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Where to Look for Sea Glass in Northern California

Sometimes called mermaid tears, sea glass consists of broken bottles and litter that have been abandoned in the ocean or on the beach for years or centuries, according to Abigail Tucker of Smithsonian Magazine. Tucker also says that sea glass is becoming harder to find because plastic bottles are taking the place of glass bottles and littering is decreasing. Many Northern California beaches that contain sea glass were once the town's former dumps.

Glass Beach
- Located in Fort Bragg, California, the 38-acre Glass Beach was once a public dumping ground starting in 1949, according to FortBragg.com. In 1967, the North Coast Water Quality Board ended the dumping on the beach after realizing it was a mistake. For more than 30 years, bottles have been pounded smooth by the ocean waves, leaving polished and smooth glass. Glass Beach offers the typical green glass pieces, but it also includes a variety of red glass pieces, which are more difficult to come across. You'll find thousands of pieces of sea glass when visiting Glass Beach. The beach is now under control of the California State Park.
Seaside Beach
- Seaside Beach, located in Monterey State Park in Monterey, California, is a hot spot for beach-goers searching for sea glass. This beach includes sand cliffs and dunes where handfuls of sea glass are located. Rock piles along the beach also provide an abundance of colorful sea glass, which are situated in piles between the rocks. Consider stopping by the beach during low tides; that's when sea glass is most exposed and easier to find. If visiting the beach during high tide you may have to walk out in the water along the shore to find sea glass.
Sea Glass
- With its maritime history, California offers beaches where you'll find a large quantity of the emerald green sea glass, according to the California Sea Glass Association. Sometimes it's difficult to see the difference between real and fake sea glass. The association reports that real sea glass has an icy, or frosty covering, due to the erosion and ocean water. Its shape is flat, and the texture is generally smooth. Green, brown and white are the most common colors of sea glass, while red, orange and yellow are the hardest colors to find.

Sea Glass Collecting