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Explore Outdoors: How Mother Nature turns trash into treasure at this Mendocino County beach

Glass Beach near Fort Bragg is lined with smooth, colorful glass.

Explore Outdoors: How Mother Nature turns trash into treasure at this Mendocino County beach

Glass Beach near Fort Bragg is lined with smooth, colorful glass.

from a distance, the view of my character state park speaks for itself, but up close an explanation may be needed to explain how the vivid colors embedded on the beach can be traced back to generations of trash dumping. This is glass beach near Fort Bragg along the Mendocino County coast. The name says it all. This beach is lined with smooth, colorful glass. There's even an international sea Glass museum nearby, touting the highest concentration of sea glass in the world. The curator is this man and he goes by the name Captain CASS for Ringtone and the story behind Glass Beach goes like this. More than 100 years ago, residents in this area literally began dumping their trash into the ocean for decades to come. But don't take my word for it. Listen, The first stamps I act was active from 1906 until 1943 when that Phil they moved it to this beach and this beach was an active dumpsite from 1943 until 1949. When it build, they moved it again to the north to what we called Glass Beach. And that was the dump site from 49 until 67 is now part of Makarska State Park. Here's the thing for Ringtone said that due to the wave patterns in this area, the water smooth the discarded glass and deposited it back onto the beach, creating what for Ringtone describes as a quote sea glass mecca. A spot where generations of trash thanks to mother nature transformed into a treasure trove of vivid glass, but if you go for Ringtone says, leave the glass as this is a state park meant to be enjoyed, not trashed for years to come. Glass Beach near Fort Bragg in Mendocino County.
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Explore Outdoors: How Mother Nature turns trash into treasure at this Mendocino County beach

Glass Beach near Fort Bragg is lined with smooth, colorful glass.

Once upon a time, dumping garbage in the ocean was a thing along California's coast.And, just like any happy fairytale, Mother Nature transformed that trash into what is now a natural treasure along the southern edge of MacKerricher State Park.Glass Beach near Fort Bragg is lined with smooth, colorful glass. The International Sea Glass museum nearby touts the highest concentration of sea glass in the world.To learn more about how a garbage dumping past led to a spot described as a "sea glass mecca," take a look at the video above.

Once upon a time, dumping garbage in the ocean was a thing along California's coast.

And, just like any happy fairytale, Mother Nature transformed that trash into what is now a natural treasure along the southern edge of MacKerricher State Park.

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Glass Beach near Fort Bragg is lined with smooth, colorful glass. The International Sea Glass museum nearby touts the highest concentration of sea glass in the world.

To learn more about how a garbage dumping past led to a spot described as a "sea glass mecca," take a look at the video above.