Hawaii and Florida top list of best US beaches for 2026, according to ‘Dr. Beach’
CNN • • nation
Key Points:
- Poipu Beach on Kauai, Hawaii, has been named the best beach in the US for 2026 by coastal scientist Stephen P. Leatherman, known as "Dr. Beach," based on 50 criteria including water and sand quality, cleanliness, and wave size.
- Florida and Hawaii dominate the top 10 list, with notable mentions including St. Andrews State Park in Panama City, Florida (No. 2), Caladesi Island State Park in Florida, and Wailea Beach on Maui, Hawaii.
- Main Beach in East Hampton, New York, is the only Northeastern beach in the top five, praised for its peaceful setting and towering sand dunes, while Cape Cod’s Coast Guard Beach in Massachusetts ranks in the top 10.
- Factors such as warm water temperatures and clear visibility influence the rankings, which explains why many beaches in colder regions like the Pacific Northwest and Northeast do not make the list.
- Environmental issues have led to the exclusion of some beaches this year, including Coronado Beach in San Diego due to sewage pollution from the Tijuana River, Lighthouse Beach in North Carolina because of erosion, and Cape Florida State Park in Miami due to excessive sargassum seaweed.