Story at a glance
- Dr. Beach, better known as Stephen Leatherman, professor in the Department of Earth & Environment at Florida International University, recently released the 34th ranking of the best of America’s 650 public beaches.
- Topping out the list was Duke Kahanamoku Beach in Oahu, Hawaii.
- Hawaii had three beaches on this year’s list while Florida and New York each had two.
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA/Nexstar) — Last year, it was a 9-mile stretch of sugar-white sand along the Gulf of Mexico that ranked as the nation’s best beach for 2023. This year, the university professor known as “Dr. Beach” has determined a beach thousands of miles away is the beach of 2024.
Dr. Beach, better known as Stephen Leatherman, professor in the Department of Earth & Environment at Florida International University, recently released the 34th ranking of the best of America’s 650 public beaches around Memorial Day, the traditional start of summer.
Topping out the list was Duke Kahanamoku Beach in Oahu, Hawaii. Named for the Olympic swimmer, the beach is a popular swimming area for families with a manmade lagoon. Dr. Beach describes it as “one of the most picturesque beaches in the USA” thanks to the nearby Diamondhead volcano.
Overall, Hawaii had three beaches on this year’s list: Wailea Beach in Maui ranked No. 3 while Poipu Beach in Kauai landed at No. 7.
FILE – Duke Kahanamoku Beach, located in the Honolulu tourist neighborhood of Waikiki, Hawaii, is pictured on May 21, 2014. Duke Kahanamoku Beach has been ranked No. 2 on the list of the nation’s best beach for 2023, according to the annual ranking released Thursday, May 18, 2023, by the university professor known as “Dr. Beach.” (AP Photo/Sam Eifling, File) 
FILE – Coopers Beach in Southampton, N.Y., is pictured on May 13, 2010. Coopers Beach has been ranked No. 3 on the list of the nation’s best beach for 2023, according to the annual ranking released Thursday, May 18, 2023, by the university professor known as “Dr. Beach.” (AP Photo/Kathy Willens, File) 
High angle view of Wailea Beach on a sunny day in Maui, Kihei, Hawaii, July 16, 2023. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images) 
UNITED STATES – SEPTEMBER 13: Visitors relax along the shore at Caladesi Island State Park, Florida, U.S., on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2008. Caladesi Island’s linen-white sands and the dolphins and pelicans that ripple its waters off Florida’s western coast help to draw almost 80 million visitors and $57 billion to the tropical state each year. After opposing offshore drilling for oil and natural gas for a quarter century as a threat to their lucrative coastline, a majority of Floridians now favor it, polls show. (Photo by Ryan K. Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images) 
Kiawah Island, South Carolina boardwalk to the beach and ocean. (Getty) 
The deck of the public pavilion at Main Beach in East Hampton, Long Island. the beach is nearly deserted in the late afternoon. (Getty) 
Numerous people, tourists and visitors enjoying the sunset at Poipu Beach in their tropical vacation. Poipu Beach, a popular vacation destination lined with resorts vacation condo rentals, restaurants and hotels on the south shore of Kauai, Hawaii. (Getty) 
Sunbathers on the beach at Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park. (Photo by: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) 
EASTHAM – JULY 21: A couple from Washington D.C. walks the shore at Coast Guard Beach in Eastham, MA on July 21, 2020. The couple “wanted to escape and explore, while being safe.” (Photo by Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) 
A plane flies over Coronado Beach in California as people look on and wave from the Pacific Ocean wash onto the sandy shore. (Getty)
Florida and New York each had two beaches on the list, including the former’s Caladesi Island State Park, which ranked as No. 4 overall.
According to the Florida State Parks website, the island is accessible by boat and open from 8 a.m. to sundown. Visitors can hike on the island’s nature trails including Beach Loop and Hammock Loop or collect shells along the sands in the low tide, although live shelling is forbidden.
The island is also popular for paddle boating, fishing, and other water activities.
“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,” Dr. Beach said. “There are boardwalk trails, but my favorite is the kayak and canoe trails through the mangroves to see the large blue herons and other birds that frequent this wonderful natural area.”
Dr. Beach’s complete list for 2024 is:
- Duke Kahanamoku Beach, Oahu, Hawaii
- Coopers Beach, Southampton, New York
- Wailea Beach, Maui, Hawaii
- Caladesi Island State Park, Dunedin Clearwater, Florida
- Beachwalker Park, Kiawah Island, South Carolina
- Main Beach, East Hampton, New York
- Poipu Beach, Kauai, Hawaii
- Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park, Naples, Florida
- Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod, Massachusetts
- Coronado Beach, San Diego, California
Last year’s top spot, St. George Island State Park in Florida’s Panhandle, didn’t make the list at all.
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.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.