America's Best Beaches List

Dr. Beach's Annual List of Top Beaches

Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman, known throughout the United States and internationally as Dr. Beach, is regarded as the country's leading authority on beach quality and ratings. A Ph.D. coastal scientist, professor of environmental studies and Director of the Laboratory for Coastal Research at Florida International University and acclaimed author, Dr. Leatherman is perhaps best known for his annual America's Best Beaches Top 10 List.

Dr. Leatherman's first Top Beach list was issued in 1991. Since then, every year around Memorial Day, beachgoers and beach communities anxiously await his latest list of the ten best public recreational beaches for swimming, walking, scenery, sports, and other activities. Beaches along the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean are objectively evaluated using a rating scale that covers 50 different criteria, ranging from beach width, sand quality, water temperature and strengths of currents to human impact issues such as lifeguards, the presence of litter and undesirable noise.

2009 America's Top Beaches

The list of ten 2009 top beaches includes the same southeastern beaches as last year's list with the exception of Florida's Caladesi Island State Park, which was last year's National Winner and has therefore been retired from future lists. Siesta Beach, Cape Hatteras and Cape Florida State Park each moved up one spot on the list compared to last year. Beachwalker Park - Kiawah Island, however, remains in the tenth spot since newcomer to the list, Coast Guard Beach on Cape Cod, was ranked in ninth place ahead of Kiawah Island.

1. Hanalei Bay - Kauai, Hawaii - National Winner
   
2. Siesta Beach - Sarasota, Florida
   
3. Coopers Beach - Southampton, New York
   
4. Coronado Beach - San Diego, California
   
5. Hamoa Beach - Maui, Hawaii
   
6. Main Beach - East Hampton, New York
   
7. Cape Hatteras Buxton Lifeguarded Beach - Outer Banks of North Carolina
   
8. Cape Florida State Park - Key Biscayne, Florida
   
9. Coast Guard Beach - Cape Cod, Massachusetts
   
10. Beachwalker Park - Kiawah Island, South Carolina

More About the 2009 Southeastern Winning Beaches

• Cape Hatteras
  
• The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island
  
• About.com's Guide to Florida Travel
  
• Dr. Beach Official Web Site

2008 America's Top Beaches

The Southeast received recognition in five of the top ten spots. Three Florida beaches, one in North Carolina and one in South Carolina were selected as 2008 winners:

1. Caladesi Island State Park - Dunedin / Clearwater, Florida - National Winner
   
2. Hanalei Beach - Kauai, Hawaii
   
3. Siesta Beach - Sarasota, Florida
   
4. Coopers Beach - Southampton, New York
   
5. Coronado Beach - San Diego, California
   
6. Main Beach - East Hampton, New York
   
7. Hamoa Beach - Maui, Hawaii
   
8. Cape Hatteras - Outer Banks, North Carolina
   
9. Cape Florida State Park - Key Biscayne, Florida
   
10. Beachwalker Park - Kiawah Island, South Carolina

2007 America's Top Beaches

The 2007 national winner of America's Top Beaches for 2007 was Ocracoke Lifeguarded Beach, located on Ocracoke Island at the southern end of the Outer Banks of North Carolina. This was the first year in the history of the list that a beach outside of Florida or Hawaii was selected as the national winner. In addition, three Florida beaches were on the 2007 list, along with three in the Northeast, two in Hawaii, and one in California, making the Southeastern United States the clear overall winning region for 2007.

The complete list of the ten America's Top Beaches for 2007 includes:

1. Ocracoke Lifeguarded Beach - Outer Banks, North Carolina - National Winner
   
2. Caladesi Island State Park - Dunedin/Clearwater, Florida
   
3. Coopers Beach, Southampton - New York
   
4. Hanalei Bay, Kauai - Hawaii
   
5. Coast Guard Beach - Cape Cod, Massachusetts
   
6. Hamoa Beach, Maui - Hawaii
   
7. Main Beach - East Hampton, New York
   
8. Coronado Beach - San Diego, California
   
9. Lighthouse Point Park - Daytona Beach, Florida
   
10. Siesta Beach - Sarasota, Florida

Past National Winners

Once a beach has been named the national winner, it is retired and no longer appears on future lists. Past national winners are:

• 2006 - Fleming Beach Park, Maui, Hawaii
  
• 2005 - Fort DeSoto Park - North Beach, St Petersburg, Florida
  
• 2004 - Hanauma Bay, Oahu, Hawaii
  
• 2003 - Kaanapali, Hawaii
  
• 2002 - St. Joseph Peninsula State Park, Florida
  
• 2001 - Poipu Beach Park, Hawaii
  
• 2000 - Mauna Kea Beach, Hawaii
  
• 1999 - Wailea Beach, Hawaii
  
• 1998 - Kailua Beach Park, Hawaii
  
• 1997 - Hulopoe, Hawaii
  
• 1996 - Lanikai Beach, Hawaii
  
• 1995 - St. Andrews SRA, Florida
  
• 1994 - Grayton Beach SRA, Florida
  
• 1993 - Hapuna, Hawaii
  
• 1992 - Bahia Honda SRA, Florida
  
• 1991 - Kapalua Bay Beach, Hawaii

Additional Information

• Ocracoke Island
  
• Scenic Photos of Ocracoke Island
  
• Driving Tour of the Outer Banks