Dr. Beach Reveals the Top 10 Beaches in the US for 2021

It's that time of year again. Just in time for the start of summer, Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman, a Professor and Director of the Laboratory for Coastal Research at Florida International University also known as Dr. Beach, has released his list of the top 10 beaches in America for 2021. Considered one of the world's leading beach experts, Leatherman has spent three decades analyzing and ranking the country's top shorelines based on 50 criteria ranging from sand softness and water temperature to access and amenities. Keep in mind that to give other beaches a chance each year, winning beaches aren't eligible to finish first in future rankings. Without further ado, here's how the top beaches shake out for 2021.

In Cape Cod, Coast Guard Beach has once again been recognized among the best in the country, dropping two spots from eighth in 2020. The beloved beach gets its name from the old Coast Guard station that still sits atop the glacial bluffs "allowing for a spectacular view of the Nauset Spit barrier system and bay," according to Leatherman.

Travelers visiting charming Charleston won't want to miss out on the beautiful Beachwalker Park in Kiawah Island. "This is a nature-lovers coast so visitors can bring their canoes and kayaks to paddle through the tidal inlets," Leatherman recommends. "It is also fun to walk or bicycle down the fine-grained sand beach to Captain Sam's Inlet to see thousands of birds."

While visitors are often drawn to the iconic Hotel del Coronado, this spectacular San Diego beach stands out for not only its beauty but its width, offering families, couples and travelers of all types plenty of room to spread out. "With its subtropical vegetation, unique Mediterranean climate, and fine sparkling sand, beach-goers flock to this beach for great ship-watching and the summer's warm and mild surf," Leatherman says.

Located just west of Tampa in the Dunedin and Clearwater area of Florida's Gulf Coast, Caladesi Island State Park is about as inviting as beaches come. Leatherman notes that the area's "white beach is composed of crystalline quartz sand which is soft and cushy at the water's edge." Visitors can also look forward to boardwalk trails and even kayak and canoe trails passing through mangroves that allow a closer look at the park's awesome nature and wildlife.

Unsurprisingly, Hawaiian beaches have dominated the top of the list in recent years. 2014 winner Duke Kahanamoku Beach located on the west end of Waikiki Beach on the island of Oahu ranks sixth in 2021, once again earning high marks for its accessibility, width, views and relative calmness thanks to an offshore coral reef.

One of two beaches in North Carolina's Outer Banks to make the top five in 2021, Lighthouse Beach in Buxton is considered the top surfing spot on the U. S. Atlantic Coast thanks to the large offshore sand banks known as Diamond Shoals. In addition to surfing, this unique beach offers a one-of-a-kind experience. "It is fun to stroll down to the Cape Point where a long sand spit often exists, making one feel somewhat like Moses because the waves are coming from both directions as you walk along this narrow string of sand in the ocean," says Leatherman.

St. George Island State Park along the Florida Panhandle has recovered substantially since Hurricane Michael nearly three years ago. In addition to lounging under the sun and swimming, the white sand and crystal clear water here are perfect for activities such as fishing, shelling and bird watching.

Elsewhere in North Carolina's Outer Banks, the serene Ocracoke Lifeguarded Beach continues to rank in the top five but is down one spot from 2020 and 2019. Leatherman calls it his "favorite getaway beach." Ocracoke topped the list in 2007 and is still the only North Carolina beach to ever be crowned number one by the coastal expert.

Coopers Beach in the picturesque Long Island village of Southampton is up one spot from 2020 to second this year. "As the first 'Gold Coast' in the country, Coopers Beach is hundreds of yards wide, made of grainy white quartz sand," the expert notes. Coopers Beach is also propelled to the top of the list for having some of the best beach access in the Hamptons.

Hapuna Beach State Park on the Big Island of Hawaii replaces Florida's Grayton Beach State Park as the number one beach in America for 2021. "This white coral sand beach resides in a landscape dominated by black lava flows," states Leatherman, who also points out that Hapuna Beach is an ideal place to swim, snorkel and scuba dive during the summer months.