Hapuna Beach State Park, Hawaii/Dr. Beach
America’s top beach is in Hawaii.
Figures.
Like many families, yours might be heading to the beach this summer. You might already have a favorite place to go to, but it’s always fun to see the top beach list every year.
“Dr. Beach” Stephen P. Leatherman has listed his top 10 American beaches for the year:
1. Kapalua Bay Beach, Maui, Hawaii
2. Ocracoke Lifeguarded Beach, Outer Banks of North Carolina
3. Grayton Beach State Park Florida panhandle
4. Coopers Beach, Southampton, New York
5. Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod, Massachusetts
6. Lighthouse Beach, Buxton, Outerbanks of North Carolina
7. Caladesi Island State Park Dunedin/Clearwater, Florida
8. Hapuna Beach State Park, Big Island, Hawaii
9. Coronado Beach, San Diego, California
10. Beachwalker Park Kiawah Island, South Carolina
Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod, Massachusetts/Dr. Beach
Dr. Beach chose Kapalua Bay as the top beach for a number of reasons. “This small beach is protected from the oceanic waves by the ‘arms’ of lava flows, making it a great place for snorkeling with the plethora of beautiful tropical fish, which are just offshore of the white coral sand,” he said in a statement.
Actually, Dr. Beach uses 50 criteria to rank beach across the United States, including their size, cleanliness, color of the water, softness of the sand, presence of rip currents, and wildlife.
If you can’t make it to one of these beaches, check out the water quality of the beach you’re going to at the Swim Guide, which also has an app.
Dr. Beach, Stephen P. Leatherman/Dr. Beach
As a professor and coastal scientist at Florida International University in Miami, Dr. Beach has been studying beaches and making his top-10 lists for 28 years.
