Good Sea Glass Beaches in Northern California?

by Primas
(Dublin, California)

Good Sea Glass Beaches in Northern California?

Good Sea Glass Beaches in Northern California?

~ submitted by Primas in  Dublin, California, USA

Looking for any good beaches in Northern California

Aug. 24th, 2009 - My family and I have been slowly getting into collecting sea glass and looking for any good beaches in Northern California.

We went to glass beach in Fort Bragg, Mendocino in July and that was incredible.

Also we went to the beach at Cannery Row in Monterey and that beach had almost as much sea glass but just smaller.

We tried one of the recommendations on the site for Miramar Beach in Half Moon Bay and after a hour we found not one piece of sea glass.

We moved to Seal Cove in Moss Beach and that had some about 8 small pieces.

Are there any good sea glass beaches in San Francisco area???

~ submitted by Primas in  Dublin, California, USA


Hi Primas,

Here are the two main beaches where you will find lots of sea glass. As you know, the most important one is Fort Bragg. If you haven't been to Seaside, it is completely the opposite setting as Fort Bragg with lots of raw sea glass plus some really excellent finds:

California Sea Glass
Fort Bragg Glass Beach.
California Sea Glass
Sea Glass Seaside, CA


There are several decent beaches in the San Francisco area, mainly Pillar Point (near Maverick's, the big wave surf spot), and other beaches.

Scroll down this page a little further to see added comments by other seaglassers.

Also, you can our list of pages on California sea glass by clicking below.

Odyssey Sea Glass - California Sea Glass

~ comment David @ Odysseyseaglass.com

Comments for Good Sea Glass Beaches in Northern California?

Click here to add your own comments

Oct 17, 2023
 Loser ass bitches
by: Anonymous

Sea glass is literally trash that’s been thrown into the ocean. Get over it. I’m gonna take as much as a want and u can’t top me :)
Sep 20, 2021
 Hope you stopped collecting sea glass you thieves
by: Anonymous

THIEVES. Hope you all found different hobbies by now. These comments on here are disgraceful. Shame on you and find real jobs! Don't rape our beautiful glass beaches that are there for ALL to enjoy, not just for you selfish people. Wake up. Not only YOU live on this planet.
Jun 22, 2021
 It won’t be glass beach anymore soon
by: Anonymous

If you all keep stealing the glass!!!
Technically that’s what your doing as it says no taking!
Theiives!!! No one has any integrity or respect for it anymore
Kids LOVE TO SEE THAT PLACE Shame on you guys
Sep 30, 2019
 STOP collecting where it's illegal
by: David

It is illegal to collect at Glass Beach. Stop it.

Stop sharing it as a place to collect.
Aug 08, 2019
 Decent spot for seaglass and shells
by: R. Call

My wife and i have had lots of good luck on the north side of seacliff beach in Aptos, Ca. If you start just north of the cement boat and go up to New Brighton State Beach and back. Also theres some good shells on the nothside of New brighton , just go at low tide. But the stretch between new brighton and seacliff has always been great for us, especially when the rock climbing piles are happening. Youll see piles of small stones randomly on the beach. They come and go with each tide, its kind of strange but the piles are usually loaded with shells and seaglass, and cool little polished stones. And if your lucky, you might find sharksteeth there too. There are loads of 7 gill sharks along this stretch. There not aggressive or at least not like their cousin, great white. Good luck !
May 24, 2016
 Glass Beach, CA
by: Anonymous

I dont know why people are recommending Glass Beach in Fort Bragg. It is strictly prohibited from collecting.

The whole beach is constantly robbed of it's glass till there won't be any.

I completely understand wanting to collect the glass but if people keep ignoring the signs it will cease to exist.
Apr 10, 2016
 Angel island
by: Anonymous

I've found a lot (as well as some nice rocks) on the beach near the immigration station on Angel Island.
Nov 03, 2015
 Carmel By The Sea, CA
by: Anonymous

Some pieces found at southern end near the rocks.

None on the sandy parts. Not really worth hunting sea glass but it is a beautiful beach.
Oct 08, 2015
 Previous comments...
by: >>>

sea glass
by: Anonymous

Pescadero does not very much of a glass collection.

It is mostly known for sea shells.

If you love collecting seashells, this is the perfect beach to do so.

Pigeon Point lighthouse is the perfect place to enter the beach in Pescadero.


Sea glass
by: Rebecca

I have lived in Pacific Grove for just 3 months now (Fall of 2012) and discovered sea glass on my own.

I first discovered it while tide-pooling at Lovers Point.

I've found large and tiny pieces. I also discovered Del Monte Beach in Monterey has many different sizes and shapes of sea glass and pottery pieces as well.

It's crazy!

Now, my challenge is to find ways to use all the sea glass I have found....


Cannery Row
by: Becky

Cannery Row - We went yesterday after getting a tip from a friend about a beach just left of old fishermans wharf...

Went down there and there was tons! We went in the afternoon and had 2 small children that kept us from kind wave chasing and getting some more...

But a must and I will go back I got at least 1/2 a large freezer ziplock bag in 1 hour...

So really cool colors light purples dark blues very very nice


Sea Glass Beaches
by: TravelCacher

I had the good fortune to spend my summer vacation walking beaches California, Oregon and Washington hunting for sea glass.

Glass Beach, Port Townsend, WA. was a great experience and my first introduction to hunting sea glass.

The glass I found was plentiful and of excellent quality with much of it being jewelry grade.

The pieces I found were mostly 1/2 inch in size with well rounded edges and highly decomposed, creating a rich and beautiful frost finish. The colors were mainly white and brown with some green.

Glass Beach, California was another excellent location for sea glass.

The sea glass here is EVERYWHERE!! You'll have no need to search for it as the entire beach is covered in glass.

The pieces I found here were bigger ranging from 1/2 inch to 2 inches in size. The colors were more varied with white, green and brown being predominant.

However, with diligence I was able to discover blues, reds, gray and lavender. Here too the pieces were excellent jewelry grade condition with decades of decomposition creating rich frost and smooth edges.

Seaside State Beach, California was worth the venture though the glass was scattered and had to be searched for.

The pieces I found were relatively young with light frost and rough edges. I threw back many pieces I found for further "cooking".

The sea glass was mainly white and brown with some green. However, they were small in size measuring from 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch in size.

As has been said by others, this is a place where you'll need to get wet to find the glass.

Chasing waves and stirring up the sand is recommended to find the good stuff.


San Francisco Beach Glass
by: Patrick Stevens

Just under the southern pier of the golden gate bridge there is a 120 foot beach, often I found plenty of beautiful beach glass specimens.


Seaside, Monterey Bay North Cal sea glass
by: David (editor)

I don't know if you have seen the comments on Seaside, but here is the main page about this beach:

Seaside, Monterey, California Beach Glass

and the good glass found there.

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