Idyllic Florida Beach Ranked as the Best in America
St. George Island State Park in the Florida Panhandle has been ranked as the best beach in the US for 2023. The 14-kilometer stretch of pristine white sand and its natural beauty, lack of development, and various activities available to beachgoers contributed to its top spot. Florida International University Professor Stephen Leatherman, also known as Dr. Beach, has been ranking America’s public beaches for 33 years to create an annual top 10 list.
St. George Island beach is located within the state park on St. George Island, connected to the mainland by a bridge across Apalachicola Bay. The park covers around 2,000 acres and offers miles of unspoiled beaches. Despite enduring tropical storms over the years, the park has made significant progress in recovery since Hurricane Michael in 2018.
Here are the complete top 10 beaches for 2023, according to Dr. Beach:
- St. George Island State Park, Florida Panhandle
- Duke Kahanamoku Beach, Oahu, Hawaii
- Coopers Beach, Southampton, New York
- Caladesi Island State Park, Dunedin/Clearwater, Florida
- Lighthouse Beach, Buxton, Outer Banks of North Carolina
- Coronado Beach, San Diego
- Wailea Beach, Maui, Hawaii
- Beachwalker Park, Kiawah Island, South Carolina
- Poipu Beach, Kauai, Hawaii
- Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Caladesi Island State Park near Clearwater and Dunedin, Florida, also made it to the top 10, ranking fourth. Caladesi, accessible by ferry or private boat, features crystalline quartz sand, nature trails, and opportunities for kayaking through mangroves teeming with wildlife.
Dr. Beach determines the best beaches in America based on 50 criteria, including sand quality, wave action, presence of lifeguards, wildlife, level of development and crowding, and other factors. Beaches that prohibit smoking receive extra credit due to the need to prevent littered cigarette butts, and St. George Island had no sightings of such litter during the recent visit by Dr. Beach.