America's 10 Best Beaches

Imagine a beach with "sugar-white sand and emerald green water," a short distance from sand dunes, tidal lakes, and freshwater ponds. You're imagining Grayton Beach State Park in the Florida panhandle, the best beach in America, according to Dr. Beach. The doctor, aka Stephen Leatherman, is out with his annual ranking of America's best beaches, from New York to California. The pandemic, of course, puts a damper on visits in the near future, though the No. 1 beach is currently open with restrictions. The list of 10, per the Orlando Sentinel:

1. Grayton Beach State Park (Florida panhandle)
2. Ocracoke Lifeguarded Beach (Outer Banks, NC)
3. Coopers Beach (Southampton, NY)
4. Duke Kahanamoku Beach (Oahu, Hawaii)
5. Lighthouse Beach (Buxton, NC)
6. Caladesi Island State Park (Dunedin-Clearwater, Fla.)
7. Hapuna Beach State Park (Big Island, Hawaii)
8. Coast Guard Beach (Cape Cod, Mass.)
9. Coronado Beach (San Diego, Calif.)
10. Beachwalker Park (Kiawah Island, SC)

Just beware the grim reaper. (More beaches stories.)