NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – A beach on Long Island's South Shore in New York has made the list of the top 10 beaches in the U.S. for 2021.
Stephen Leatherman, who has been ranking U.S. beaches on his annual list under the alias “Dr. Beach” for three decades, said Coopers Beach in Southampton is the second-best beach in the country.
Leatherman described the beach as "shielded from the cold Labrador currents in the beautiful village of Southampton."
"As the first 'Gold Coast' in the country, Coopers Beach is hundreds of yards wide, made of grainy white quartz sand," Leatherman wrote. "The beach is backed by large sand dunes covered by American beach grass interspersed with extravagant mansions. Some of the best beach access in the Hamptons exists on Coopers Beach; a snack bar serving lunch and drinks can be found here as well."
Hapuna Beach in Hawaii took the top spot on the 30th annual “Dr. Beach” list.
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Leatherman uses 50 criteria to evaluate beaches, with the most important categories being safety and cleanliness.
He uses data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to grade the beaches on water quality and has been to all of the beaches on his list.
Here’s the annual list for 2021:
1. Hapuna Beach State Park - Hawaii Island, Hawaii
2. Coopers Beach - Southampton, New York
3. Ocracoke Lifeguarded Beach - Outer Banks of North Carolina
4. St. George Island State Park - Florida Panhandle
5. Lighthouse Beach - Buxton Outer Banks of North Carolina
6. Duke Kahanamoku Beach - Oahu, Hawaii
7. Caladesi Island State Park - Dunedin/Clearwater, Florida
8. Coronado Beach - San Diego, California
9. Beachwalker Park - Kiawah Island, South Carolina
10. Coast Guard Beach - Cape Cod, Massachusetts
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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