The state park on St. George Island just off the Florida Panhandle has been named the country's best beach for 2023, according to the annual ranking released Thursday by the world's foremost "beachologist."
Stephen Leatherman, aka “Dr. Beach,” is a coastal scientist and professor at Florida International University. Leatherman announced his top 10 list of U.S. public beaches just in time for Memorial Day, the traditional start of summer.
It marks the 33rd year he has rated the best of America's 650 public beaches.
Leatherman uses 50 criteria to evaluate beaches including sand type, wave action, whether lifeguards are present, presence of wildlife, the level of development and crowding, and many other factors. Extra credit is given to beaches that forbid cigarette smoking, mainly because of the need to prevent discarded butts. None were seen during a recent visit to St. George Island, he said.
While St. George Island is frequently on the list, what made it his top pick this year is its natural beauty, lack of development, abundant activities including fishing, swimming, kayaking, cycling, camping and an unparalleled view of the night sky for stargazers, Leatherman said.
“There's just so many things that capture my imagination there,” Leatherman said in an interview. “It's an idyllic place.”
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The park covers about 2,000 acres on the east end of the island, which is connected by a bridge to the mainland across Apalachicola Bay, famed for its oysters. The other sections of the island contain a small village, restaurants, rental homes and motels, but not a whole lot else.
And that's the way Leatherman likes it.
“People can have the best of both worlds there, just miles and miles of unspoiled beaches,” he said.
A second Florida Gulf coast beach, Caladesi Island State Park near Clearwater and Dunedin, ranks fourth on the list this year. It's reachable mainly by ferry and private boat, or a person could walk a fairly good distance there from Clearwater Beach depending on the tides. Despite the name, Caladesi isn't a true island any longer because an inlet closed off, Leatherman said.
“The white beach is composed of crystalline quartz sand, which is soft and cushy at the water's edge, inviting one to take a dip in the sparkling clear waters,” he said.
Caladesi has boardwalk nature trails and kayaking through mangroves that are home to numerous species of fish, birds and other animals.
Hawaii placed three beaches on the list, more than any other state.
Here is Dr. Beach's complete 2023 top 10:
1. St. George Island State Park, Florida Panhandle
2. Duke Kahanamoku Beach, Oahu, Hawaii
3. Coopers Beach, Southampton, New York
4. Caladesi Island State Park, Dunedin/Clearwater, Florida
5. Lighthouse Beach, Buxton, Outer Banks of North Carolina
6. Coronado Beach, San Diego
7. Wailea Beach, Maui, Hawaii
8. Beachwalker Park, Kiawah Island, South Carolina
9. Poipu Beach, Kauai, Hawaii
10. Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod, Massachusetts
