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‘Dr. Beach' Names the Top 10 Beaches in the US for 2023

It marks the 33rd year he has rated the best of America's 650 public beaches.

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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.”

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

St. George Island State Park
Dr. Beach
The beach at St. George Island State Park, Florida Pandhandle. While St. George Island suffered a big hit in 2018 by Hurricane Michael, the area has substantially recovered, especially the sugary fine, white sand beach.

2. Duke Kahanamoku Beach, Oahu, Hawaii

5. Duke Kahanamoku Beach, Oahu, Hawaii
AP Photo/Sam Eifling, File
FILE - This May 21, 2014, file photo shows Duke Kahanamoku Beach in the Honolulu tourist neighborhood of Waikiki in Hawaii.

3. Coopers Beach, Southampton, New York

Coopers Beach, Southampton, New York
Kathy Willens/AP, File
FILE - This May 13, 2010, file photo, shows Coopers Beach in Southampton, N.Y.

4. Caladesi Island State Park, Dunedin/Clearwater, Florida

FILE - This May 21, 2008 file photo shows the main beach at Caladesi Island State Park, a barrier island along the Gulf of Mexico, on Florida's West Coast is seen in Dunedin, Fla.
AP Photo/Craig Litten, file
FILE - This May 21, 2008 file photo shows the main beach at Caladesi Island State Park, a barrier island along the Gulf of Mexico is seen in Dunedin, Florida.

5. Lighthouse Beach, Buxton, Outer Banks of North Carolina

File - Lighthouse Beach in the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
Dr. Beach
File - Lighthouse Beach in the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

6. Coronado Beach, San Diego

Coronado Beach is the toast of Southern California; it is a veritable oasis by the sea that is hundreds of yards wide. 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. The local landmark, Hotel del Coronado, was built over a hundred years ago; kings, sheiks, actors, and actresses have stayed at this iconic hotel.
Dr. Beach
Coronado Beach is the toast of Southern California; it is a veritable oasis by the sea that is hundreds of yards wide.

7. Wailea Beach, Maui, Hawaii

FILE - Wailea Beach. Maui. Hawaii.
Andre Seale/VW PICS/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
FILE - Wailea Beach. Maui. Hawaii.

8. Beachwalker Park, Kiawah Island, South Carolina

10. Beachwalker Park Kiawah, Island, South Carolina
Dr. Beach
South of Charleston, Beachwalker Park is the public beach located on the southern end of Kiawah Island.

9. Poipu Beach, Kauai, Hawaii

FILE - Vacationers swimming and sunbathing at Poipu Beach in Kauai, Hawaii.
Francis Joseph Dean/Deanpictures via Getty Images
FILE - Vacationers swimming and sunbathing at Poipu Beach in Kauai, Hawaii.

10. Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Dr. Beaches
Coast Guard Beach in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, is located where a sand spit extends southward from the glacial sea cliffs.
The Associated Press/NBC
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