In fact, seeing a sand dollar on a beach is a good sign to begin with, because as Morrison explains, they are an indicator species. Sand dollars clean up the ocean floor.

It costs $10 to park your car. If you're driving south on Highway 1, turn right when you see the "Los Padres National Forest Picnic Area and Beach: Sand Dollar" sign on the left side of the highway.

The bright white sand dollars prized by Outer Banks beachcombers and coveted by craft makers were once masters of their sea-bottom habitat. The elements that make a sand dollar so attractive served… ...

If you find a sand dollar, even if it’s dead, it’s best to leave it at the beach, Steers said. Its fragile skeleton eventually crumbles and turns into sand.