The Truth Behind California’s Colorful Glass Beach

Glass Beach near Fort Bragg is one of California’s most unusual and colorful attractions. If you’ve ever wondered how this picturesque beach came into being, stick around to read one incredible legend and the true story behind it.

The Legend of Mermaid Tears

Sea glass is known by a common nickname, “mermaid tears,” because it’s believed that mermaids would cry every time a sailor was lost at sea and their tears would wash onto the shore as sea glass. This legend isn’t specific to Fort Bragg, and refers to colorful sea glass in general.

The True Story of Glass Beach

The true story behind the colorful sea glass on this beach doesn’t exactly read like a fairy tale. People started using it as a dumping site after the devastating 1906 San Francisco earthquake damaged many homes and buildings in the area.

The area was closed in 1967 and cleanup programs started taking place, but nature already transformed this beach into something magical. Waves roughed up the edges of glass and pottery thrown in the ocean. It’s now illegal to remove any glass from the beach so it could be preserved for future generations.