MIAMI (CBSMimai/CNN) – A Florida seaside has landed within the top 5 on coastal scientist Stephen Leatherman’s annual list of America’s finest beaches.
Leatherman, also called “Dr. Beach,” tapped Caladesi Island State Park in Dunedin/Clearwater as his quantity two spot for its crystalline quartz sand and clear waters on the Gulf Coast. It’s accessible by ferry or non-public boat.
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“You come in by the ferry and go through the mangroves, so there’s a lot of bird life there, great fishing there as well,” Leatherman stated.
So which spot topped the list?
It was Ocracoke Island’s Lifeguarded Beach, a wild expanse on North Carolina’s Outer Banks.
The space rose to No. 1 this yr from its No. 3 rating in 2021. The seaside is a part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore and is operated by the National Park Service.
“I like this area because it has the three things that you must have to make a great beach: clean sand, clean water, and beach safety,” Leatherman instructed CNN Travel.
Leatherman, a professor and director of the Laboratory for Coastal Research at Florida International University, has been rating America’s finest beaches since 1991.
He makes use of 50 standards to guage 650 public beaches within the US. The standards embody seaside width, sand softness, water temperature and colour, wildlife, and extra.
Ocracoke Island’s 16 miles of undeveloped shoreline make it “a little rough around the edges,” its tourism group says, “in the best possible way.” The island additionally has ties to the notorious pirate Blackbeard.
Ocracoke is simply accessible by way of non-public airplane or boat and ferry service, which accommodates vehicles and RVs.
Some of the nation’s wildest beaches are discovered right here, based on Leatherman. He cautions that households with youngsters would possibly need to go to earlier in the summertime as late summer season brings large surf.
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“Don’t expect to play golf or stay at the Ritz; the main pursuits are swimming and beachcombing as well as exploring the historical village,” Leatherman stated within the seaside’s description on his annual list.
What NOT to pack? Golf golf equipment and excessive heels, Visit Ocracoke says. “This is an island, but it’s not a resort,” its web site says. Walking to dinner in informal apparel — even for Ocracoke’s most upscale eateries — is inspired.
Beachfront lodging is restricted to at least one National Park Service campground, so most guests keep within the village a few miles from the seaside.
A second Outer Banks seaside, Lighthouse Beach in Buxton on Hatteras Island is No. 6 this yr. This seaside was the location of the previous spiral-striped Cape Hatteras Lighthouse till erosion prompted its transfer about 3,000 ft inland in 1999.
So how did North Carolina safe two of the top 10 slots this yr?
Leatherman provides additional credit score for no smoking and each of the Outer Banks beaches prohibit smoking, he stated.
“And also beach safety is very important. The biggest hazard on beaches is rip currents. Both these beaches have really good lifeguard programs.”
Coopers Beach, backed by sand dunes and indulgent mansions in Southampton, New York, takes the No. 3 spot.
St. George Island State Park on the Florida Panhandle (No. 4) and Duke Kahanamoku Beach in Oahu, Hawaii (No. 5) spherical out the top 5.
Beaches in California, South Carolina, and Massachusetts seem within the second half of the rankings.
“We’re lucky, here in the United States we really have hundreds of beautiful beaches … and these are just the top 10,” Leatherman stated.
Here’s the complete Top 10 list for 2022:
- Ocracoke Lifeguarded Beach, Outer Banks of North Carolina
- Caladesi Island State Park, Dunedin/Clearwater, Florida
- Coopers Beach, Southampton, New York
- St. George Island State Park, Florida Panhandle
- Duke Kahanamoku Beach, Oahu, Hawaii
- Lighthouse Beach, Buxton, Outer Banks of North Carolina
- Coronado Beach, San Diego, California
- Wailea Beach, Maui, Hawaii
- Beachwalker Park, Kiawah Island, South Carolina
- Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod, Massachusetts
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