No, the kids didn't spill something purple here. Manganese garnet, washed down from the hillside above, gives Pfeiffer Beach its distinctive purple sand. The further north you go, the more you'll see.
Purple Sand Makes Fine Castles Pfeiffer Beach Pictures
By Betsy Malloy, About.com Guide
(c) Betsy Malloy 2006. Licensed to About.com, Inc., Request a Reprint
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