\n A crescent-shaped beach in Hawaii that\u2019s immersed in greenery and facing an island just offshore is the best beach in the US.\n <\/p>\n
\n So says coastal scientist Stephen P. Leatherman, better known as \u201cDr. Beach.\u201d Poipu Beach on the island of Kauai tops the list for 2026, which he compiles based on 50 individual criteria.\n <\/p>\n
\n The No. 2 beach, according to Leatherman\u2019s annual ranking, is St. Andrews State Park in Panama City, Florida.\n <\/p>\n
\n Hawaii and Florida dominate the top 10, which includes Caladesi Island State Park in the Dunedin\/Clearwater area of Florida, and Wailea Beach on the Hawaiian island of Maui.\n <\/p>\n
\n One beach in the Northeast broke into the top five: Main Beach in the picturesque eastern Long Island town of East Hampton. The New York beach ranked No. 5 this year.\n <\/p>\n
\n Leatherman notes the beach\u2019s \u201cpeaceful, countryside setting in a small village\u201d and the \u201ctowering sand dunes\u201d that help make it so bucolic.\n <\/p>\n
\n Hawaii and Florida typically fare well in the ranking partly because Leatherman focuses on \u201cswimming beaches,\u201d which means the water has to be warm enough to draw people in for a few strokes.\n <\/p>\n
\n Beaches in Maine, Connecticut and other Northeastern states, for example, are often too \u201cnippy\u201d to make the cut, he said in an interview with CNN. One Massachusetts beach, however, caps off the top 10: Cape Cod\u2019s Coast Guard Beach. Leatherman says visitors go by bike or shuttle bus to reach this pristine beach where in recent years seals have begun to congregate.\n <\/p>\n
\n Several beaches are located in private resorts, including Kaunaoa in Hawaii, also known as Mauna Kea Beach, located on the island of Hawaii. While the beach is located inside the Mauna Key Beach Resort, the shoreline is accessible through dint of the public right of way, stressed Leatherman, who teaches at Florida International University in Miami.\n <\/p>\n
Water temperature and clarity<\/p>\n
\n Don\u2019t see your favorite beach? Water temperature, as noted, is likely the culprit.\n <\/p>\n
\n Leatherman says there are many spots he likes in Washington State, Northern California and Oregon, among other places, and he often hears from beachgoers who complain when these areas don\u2019t make the list.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cIt\u2019s just too bloody cold,\u201d he said.\n <\/p>\n
\n Other factors that keep beaches off his ranking include tidal movements. Leatherman said strong tides make the water cloudy, which doesn\u2019t always appeal to beachgoers because once immersed in the surf, \u201cPeople want to see their toes.\u201d\n <\/p>\n
\n Leatherman regularly cites beaches that have to be removed from the top 10 because of pollution or other issues. Three beaches were excluded from this year\u2019s ranking, including Coronado Beach in San Diego for a second year in a row. Leatherman says sewage from the Tijuana River is gravely impacting the beach.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cIt is wrecking that whole area,\u201d Leatherman said. \u201cI am so upset about that.\u201d\n <\/p>\n
\n San Diego County has repeatedly had to issue advisories due to the presence of bacteria in the water, warning swimmers to keep away. New advisories citing sewage from the Tijuana River were issued in May.\n <\/p>\n
\n The two other beaches that are off the list this year are Lighthouse Beach on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, due to erosion, and Cape Florida State Park in Miami where the vast quantity of sargassum seaweed washing up on shore is reducing the beach\u2019s natural beauty.\n <\/p>\n