Is this pristine Florida beach the best in the country? Miami’s “Dr. Beach” says it is

If you want to know where to find the best beaches in the country, you ask Dr. Beach.

And Dr. Beach — coastal expert Stephen P. Leatherman, a professor in the Department of Earth & Environment at Florida International University in Miami — says a Florida beach takes that honor for 2023.

Leatherman, who just released his 2023 list of best beaches in the United States, did not let his Miami home influence his mindset. The best beach isn’t Miami Beach. It’s St. George Island State Park, on Florida’s Gulf Coast just off Apalachicola.

The 1,962-acre barrier island park offers nine miles of pristine beach and has long been a favorite spot for fans of Gulf of Mexico sunsets and stargazing. Visitors can also swim, fish, canoe, kayak and while away the day shelling and beachcombing. The marshes on the bay side of the island offer opportunities for bird watching.

Though it did sustain damage in 2018’s Hurricane Michael, the beach has recovered, Leatherman writes.

“This long barrier island, far from urban areas, is a favorite destination for beachgoers, anglers and bird watchers as nature abounds,” he writes in his report. “Besides swimming in the crystal-clear water, I enjoy beachcombing and shelling. While St. George Island suffered a big hit in 2018 by Hurricane Michael, the area has substantially recovered, especially the sugary fine, white sand beach.”

One other Florida beach made Leatherman’s list: Caladesi Island State Park near Dunedin, which is accessible only by boat and features shelling, fishing, boating, paddling and picnicking. Caladesi Island State Park also recently was named one of the best secret beaches in America by travel site Family Destinations Guide.

Neither of Leatherman’s Florida favorites made Tripadvisor’s Travelers Choice Awards 2023 list for best beaches. Siesta Beach in Siesta Key, located off the coast of Sarasota, was the highest ranking Florida beach at No. 2.

Leatherman has rated the best of America’s 650 public beaches for 33 years. His ratings, based on such criteria as water and sand quality and safety and management, usually are released at the start of the summer. Beaches that prohibit smoking earn bonus points (though this did not help Miami Beach, the first to ban smoking).

Here is the full list of Leatherman’s top 10 beaches in the U.S. for 2023:

1. St. George Island State Park, Florida Panhandle

2. Duke Kahanamoku Beach, Oahu, Hawaii

3. Coopers Beach, Southhampton, New York

4. Caladesi Island State Park, Dunedin

5. Lighthouse Beach, Buxton Outer Banks of North Carolina

6. Coronado Beach, San Diego

7. Wailea Beach, Maui, Hawaii

8. Beachwalker Park, Kiawah Island, South Carolina

9. Poipu Beach, Kauai, Hawaii

10. Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod

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