10 Best Beaches in America in 2024, ‘Dr. beach’

(CNN) — If you want to enjoy the best beach in America in 2024, make like “The Brady Bunch” and pack your bags and head to Hawaii.

Duke Kahanamoku Beach on the island of Oahu tops the annual list of America’s 10 Best Beaches compiled by “Doctor Beach,” also known as coastal scientist Stephen Leatherman.

Kahanamoku is not an ordinary choice. It was the #2 beach on Leatherman’s list in 2023. What do you like about it?

The sand haven is “located at the west end of Waikiki Beach, free of the crowds elsewhere,” Leatherman said in a news release Thursday.

“It’s a world-renowned wide stretch of sandy beach and is protected by an offshore coral reef, making it a good beach for families with children. The nearby Duke Kahanamoku Lagoon is a favorite spot for bathing and swimming,” he said. Leatherman is a professor in the Department of Earth and Environment at Florida International University in Miami.

Hawaii will be the star in 2024

The 50th state has the most beaches in the top ten, with a total of three on the coveted list. So if you want to island hop in Hawaii, you can get three of the top 10 beaches in one state.

Like many beautiful places around the world, Hawai’i has struggled with how to handle crowds and sometimes unruly tourists, even with the removal of the Haiku Stairs on Oahu. Ko Hawaii, the state’s tourism website, has a page dedicated to tips on how to respect the islands’ culture and environment.

Among other states, New York and Florida have two beaches each on the list. South Carolina, Massachusetts and California then rounded out the top 10 with one spot each.

Leatherman has been evaluating beaches since 1991 and compiling the annual list. It uses 50 criteria to rate beaches, including water and sand quality, wave size, beach shape, wildlife, public safety and cleanliness.

If Hawaii isn’t on your travel calendar, the second best beach is in the densely populated Northeast.

Cooper’s Beach, located on New York’s Long Island, is “sheltered from the cold Labrador currents in beautiful Southampton. The beach is lined with large sand dunes covered in American beach grass with luxurious mansions,” Leatherman said in the report. . Cooper’s was the third best beach in 2023.

The sixth best beach in America is located on Long Island.

As for the Sunshine State’s two entries, both beaches are on the Gulf Coast, beating the Atlantic-facing beaches.

America’s Top 10 Beaches for 2024

1. Duke Kahanamoku Beach: Oahu, Hawaii

2. Cooper’s Beach: Southampton, New York

3. Wailea Beach: Maui, Hawaii

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

5. Beachwalker Park: Kiawah Island, South Carolina

6. Main Beach: East Hampton, New York

7. Poipu Beach: Kauai, Hawaii

8. Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park: Naples, Florida

9. Coast Guard Beach: Cape Cod, Massachusetts

10. Coronado Beach: San Diego, California