Not really worth the stop , when we arrived we noticed several trucks and vans with people living out of their cars. The sea glass was very small and the bigger pieces were on display with a sign. The views of the water crashing and the colors of the sand were beautiful but the area it self was not great. You will head thru an industrial area and where it turns to dirt you can walk (not far) or drive. read more

See all

This is a quick stop if you are in the area (like coming back from Waimea Canyon). It's not a final destination. There is plenty of beach glass to collect (mainly small pieces of clear glass with some smaller green, blue and the occasionally red). There are also some locals who seem to live at this beach, who were all friendly. I even saw one guy help a grandmother gather some beach glass for her. read more

Glass Beach - Glass Beach - Beaches Near Me - Port Allen, Hawaii

Cool beach with some spots of sea glass. I think you're not supposed to take any, but we saw people taking them. Have some desolate areas, and some with more sea glass. Big local fishing spot, next to a power plant so water is warm for fish! Not a swimming beach, pretty rocky and some serious swells! Locals are friendly, some nice collection of local found sea glass and such, you can take these for a small donation. Parking is slim, but park at the end of the dirt road! read more

See all

Definitely not a beach to lounge at or stay very long. It's in the middle of an industrial area. Kind of gimmicky to call it a glass beach now. We didn't find much. I guess a lot has been stolen over the years or washed away. Some little piles here and there that have been previously collected, but for the most part there isn't much to see here. read more

See all

There are a lot of people living there, it's behind a bunch of factories and off a rough dirt road. The ocean there is pretty rough so don't plan to swim here. There is some glass to see which is cool but it's a quicker stop. read more

Glass Beach - Sea glass washed up - Beaches Near Me - Port Allen, Hawaii

Do not go here! There's hardly any sea glass and the area has been taken over by homeless people living out of their car. It was very dirty and rough. We did not feel safe going here. read more

Glass beach was so fun when we visited! It actually had glass covering the very small beach area that was rubbed so smoothly from the ocean that you didn't need to worry about walking on it barefoot!! I love what is called "seaglass" that I would find occasionally in the Hampton roads area when I lived there but you would never find as much as was washed up and sitting atop the sand at this beach! What a treasure! Did we steal some seaglass here? No, and I'm sad to see in recent posting that so much of the seaglass has been stolen it is no longer a destination to see some enjoy! Folks, make your Momma's proud and enjoy the natural beauty of this and other places and take nothing. It pictures and leave nothing but footprints! read more

See all

We first visited Glass Beach in 2014. It was covered in beautiful sea glass. We visited again two years later and there was significantly less sea glass. There were some tourists FILLING buckets with sea glass that took years to form. Such a shame that thoughtless, selfish people have ruined what was once a beautiful destination. read more

Unfortunately all the glass pebbles have been taken by people. So it's just black sand. I would pass on this beach. There is parking but you have to go on a dirt road. Or you can park on the street. It's a bit off the beaten path in an industrial area, so it's not a crowded beach. It's actually a small beach. read more

Honestly, I wouldn't waste my time coming here. To begin, there is glass, but it's very very little bit. I really don't know if at one point it had enough glass to be even called glass beach but right now they should change the name. More importantly tho, is this beach has been taken over by the homeless community. A bunch of cars that people live in, tents that people live in, man-made barbecue grills, and it seems like they even want to make it into a business. One of the homeless came up to us with handmade glass necklaces, and we were assuming he wanted a tip. He even had a tip jar out. We gave them back and left. Not worth visiting truly. Sad but true. read more

The beach was interesting seeing the sea glass, but it is in an industrial area and not really a nice beach for doing more than searching for sea glass. We had to park up the road. We did see a seal so that was cool. read more

See all

Snap a couple nice pics at sunset but nothing to write home about. Some small chunks of sea glass, chuck em back for the next person. In the middle of an industrial area. Small tent village. Your rental can make it down, just take it really slow. read more

Beach glass is litter and a testament to humans destroying our ocean. Is there a lot of glass here - YES. It's in small, pebble-sized shards. There's also a lot of broken glass in general from people shattering fresh trash on the beaches. Honestly, all of it should be cleaned up because it's a hazard to wildlife, especially the sharp - clearly new - glass everywhere. I really don't want sea creatures eating glass that they mistake for other critters. Clean, safe beaches for wildlife are more important than having glass waste everywhere. I'm pretty sure there might be a homeless camp here and we had to walk from Captain Andy's parking lot through an industrial area (about 0.4 mile walk) onto a sketchy, unmaintained dirt road littered with garbage. I found this place through Atlas Obscura and honestly, don't bother visiting. It's not safe to walk around on. Visited: January 2023 read more

See all

It's insane how many people post 2-3 star reviews because it's a glass beach... people it's named glass beach because you guessed it, it's full of glass... why would you think that a glass beach would be a beach for laying in the "sand". It's crazy how all of you that post these horrid reviews about it being near industrial plants don't know that glass doesn't magically form from sand and waves, it's usually because there's an industrial plant near that uses you guessed it "glass". Crazy, learn some info before you just blast something you literally have zero idea about. read more

Glass Beach is a beautiful beach and worth a peek, but full disclosure: this is not a lounging beach. You have to find parking in an industrial area far from the beach. Then you have to walk down. The sand is sharp -- I believe they are crushed shells and coral... but not quite crushed to small enough pieces that it doesn't cut. Did not find glass. read more

Beautiful beach like all the beaches in Hawaii. Definitely worth checking out. It is a short trip will probably only take about 30 mins to get the whole experience. read more

This is a sightseeing beach only, not for swimming. Despite the reviews saying the glass isn't abundant, I saw a lot. It can be dangerous so make sure you are wearing steady shoes. It is glass after all. Signs say not to take the glass. It looks like locals stock it because big pieces of glass shards are plentiful. SUPER sketchy driving to get there. I recommend parking just before the right turn if you have a rental or low clearance vehicle because potholes and uneven ground are rough right there. It's a short walk. read more

We went thinking it was this amazing place. Instead there were people living in their cars there. They didn't bother us but it is definetly not a tourist location and there wasn't any glass on the beach. read more

Don't listen to the people recently posting about there not being any glass remaining. There's plenty of small pieces all around the beach, especially closer to the larger rocky area. We left with about 1/2 pound. Its mostly brown and white but we did find a few blue and green pieces and the occasional larger piece. read more

Small beach with little pebbles of glass everywhere. Don't take the glass or sand home it'll give you bad luck. Leave for others to enjoy the beauty of them! read more

Cool beach but may not be what you are expecting. Lots of the glass has faded away. Cool to go to if you are in the area, but I don't recommend going out of your way for it. read more

Glass Beach - Beaches Near Me - Port Allen, Hawaii

We went to the beach specifically to look for beach glass. While we did find some, they were all very small pieces and mainly just white and amber colored with a few blue pieces. The beach was very tiny, definitely somewhere that you're going just to specifically look for beach glass. It's not a beach that you would swim at or hang out at for a long period of time. Also, it seems like it's in the middle of a dump site lol. We drove all the way down to it, but I don't know that I would have tried that in a car. We were in a van. read more

I was sad there was no longer any sea glass on the beach. The road down is rough. It is a decent black sand beach, but not as it apparently once was. read more

In warehouse area, no public parking. Recently reviews say glass is mot as plentiful as it once was.

Honestly so sad. Most of the glass is picked over. Obvious people leave trash. Dead Sea turtle on the shore.

On our trip to Kauai, I looked up things to do and this cute this beach popped up on suggested. The drive from Lihue was about 30 minutes. When driving, you go through an industrial looking area to get to this beach. There is a parking lot for the beach, BUT the path is off-road and had many deep trenches so we just parked on the side of the road in the grass (other cars did too) and walked down to the beach. I was expecting bigger pieces of glass sand, but there were a lot of tiny pieces of glass and a few pieces of big glass. I'm sure people took some glass home causing less glass (there's even a sign at the entrance to not take any glass!). The beach is a mixture of glass, sand, and black sand. We didn't take our slippers off since we weren't sure of any non-smoothed glass pieces lying around. The view is pretty nice and there is a fair amount of people who also drove out here. The glass doesn't stretch the whole beach, but rather half of the beach. read more

See all

Now this beach is a bit hard to find, and not a huge parking lot, but it was magical to me. We arrived right before sunset and only one other person was there. As we looked by the water, there was a seal enjoying a nap in the sand. The glass can be tiny or bigger pieces depending on what is at the shore. You cannot take the glass from this beach, but it is so cool to see. read more

See all

Was definitely a touristy beach. It was cool to see the glass for sand. Lots of the glass was very jagged so I don't recommend walking barefoot here. Tons of people were on the beach walking and collecting shells so I didn't lay out. read more

Glass Beach - Beaches Near Me - Port Allen, Hawaii

See all

Sadly, there was hardly any glass at Glass Beach. Very disappointing. Great spot for sunset photos. read more

Glass Beach - Beaches Near Me - Port Allen, Hawaii

See all

It's not a glass beach anymore... more like land for the homeless. We went here a few weeks ago and it looks like 3 families were living there and have been there for over a week read more

A beautiful place to visit, stretch your legs and drink in the beauty of the coast. Be sure to leave the glass for future generations.

We saw a picture in a guide book and knew we had to stop by and check it out! It was about a 30 min drive from our place in Lihue even with mild traffic. Fortunately google maps was able to take us to the right spot although at first we were a little skeptical. We had to drive through an industrial area that looked more like we were trespassing onto someone's property but we weren't and you are not. Continue following the signs to the end of the dirt road and you'll probably see other cars parked out there. A sign with the words Aloha and a message are tacked up on a tree. There, you know you're in the right place. At first you'll look out onto this black sand beach and not think much of it besides the gorgeous views. You'll wonder where the glass is. Take a closer look and you'll see that much of the sand is topped by jeweled pieces of worn down glass of many different colors. The beach is actually quite nice as well although small. Remember, you shouldn't be taking glass from this beach as the sign says. Great picturesque place probably don't need more than 10-15 min there to check out the unique sand. read more

Nice beach but definitely did not have much glass, and the little there was people were taking them. I'm sure you're not supposed to be taking the glass from the beach but people don't understand read more

See all

Ok, yes I was looking forward to going here, because I'm a glass fanatic of all kinds glass, hey I'm a stained glass artist for one thing, and I collect anything made of 'glass'. With that said, here's a copy/paste of HOW I HEARD about going to Glass Beach. And frankly, my dear . . . it sounds too good to be true. The writer, temp people to go there, and even STEAL the glass, but somehow, we must have gone to the wrong beach, because we didn't see the sign: 'Please Don't Steal the Glass'. BEAUTY like nature, needs to be enjoyed by all! Question? Was I tempted to take some glass home? Well, Of course! It says so right there, to bring a small container for glass, but I just picked a few to bring home to my grand daughter who now is a proud owner of a rock polisher. I also picked up some unusual white rocks with beige/orange stripes in the middle, odd shapes I know she'll like, and they're well polished! Here's the article, word by word . . . 'Glass Beach is a Gem Among Kauai Beaches What to bring: Closed toe shoes for hiking. A small container for glass. You can leave your beach towel in the car. Location: Within 30 minutes of The Parrish Collection Kauai South Shore vacation rentals. Near Port Allen in Ele'ele. Directions: When you reach the traffic light in Ele'ele (at the shopping center), turn left and drive down to Port Allen. The last left turn will take you to Glass Beach. A rainbow swept over this black sand beach and left behind many colors. Each tint can be found in particles of multicolored glass. Softened by the ocean to dull edges, the glass fragments remain vibrant. I like to search for blue which is my favorite and not always easy to find. In addition to color, I consider shape and size. When I leave it feels like taking a part of the rainbow in my pocket. An old dump nearby is responsible for how the glass ended up here. The tide and surf determine how much I find on any given day. I hope the glass is plentiful when you visit. Just taking a few pieces from the beach will be a nice souvenir of your Kauai vacation. Glass Beach is not the most spectacular on Kauai. It's too rocky for swimming and small in size. Then there's the location issue. Right behind you is an oil storage facility that provides a not so pleasing industrial backdrop. There's more to see but you have to drive uphill a short distance. Park near the old cemetery and hike down to the lava shelf. To the right you'll find metal and glass embedded in the sides of the cliff. Going left will take you to the lava arch where the ocean playfully churns. Watch for blowholes and hike when the tide is out.' read more

Glass Beach - Glass Beach. Do you see it? You can't find those in Oregon! - Beaches Near Me - Port Allen, Hawaii

I want to rate this place low because people are feeling the need to take the glass from the beach, when in reality the glass is not their to take. As I sat along the shore searching for blue/green/red glass I watched many mainlanders with ziplock bags of glass/shells/and whatever they felt they wanted. I was deeply saddened as I thought " What in the work are you gonna do with the glass? Take it home and be like wow look what I took! And then toss it away?" The thought that this amazing place can "disappear" because people continue to take pieces away is sad. These pieces of glass take years to become smoothe, they don't just appear. PLEASE when you visit just enjoy and take pictures, theres no need to take pieces. read more

Depressing and ravaged by visitors There's no glass left. When we arrived there were people picking whatever pieces remained and dropping them into their little containers to take home. The little beach is tiny and cute, but still not worth visiting. I didn't even take any pictures. read more

I was so excited to locate this legendary beach to search for sea glass. Located behind an industrial area, it is easy enough to to find. However we were greeted by a worn sign warning visitors not to "steal" the glass on the beach! The beach itself is a small cove of dirty sand, the top layer of which is mostly tiny brown sea glass. We didn't find anything worthy of "stealing" and left after 15 minutes. read more

Oh tourism and guide books that have left us with no secret spots to enjoy ... including pictures with this review from our first visit in 2013 (for the record, it was a blog that first led me here, not THE guide book on Kauai) as I, quite honestly, didn't see the need to take any from yesterday's visit. How disappointing it was to see how little glass remains here. It's decidedly less sketchy than it was six years ago, but that clearly came at a price. read more

See all

I didn't know this image existed until I heard about it on the gypsy guide app ( highly recommend for first timers ). We got here in the evening and it was really easy to find. So this beach is not for swimming or fishing but for exploring! I was absolutely fascinated by the glass. It was formed by the ocean from broken bottles and auto glass dumped in the water years ago! It is in an industrial area so it's not surprising that it was dumped there. The sand is just BEAUTIFUL!! It's fascinating to just sit down and look at the different colours around you!! I would have loved to spend more time here!! read more

Glass Beach - Beaches Near Me - Port Allen, Hawaii

See all

Very small, not a lot of glass but still cool to visit. For future visitors don't take the glass