Top 20 Beaches in America

Top 20 Beaches in America

Florida's preservation efforts have paid off for panhandle beaches. The 2001 rankings from "Dr. Beach", a.k.a. Dr. Stephen Leatherman puts the Florida panhandle's St. Joseph's Peninsula State Park as the No. 2 beach in the United States. The 2000 poll ranked two Florida beaches in the top 20 including St. George Island 11th and Perdido Key 14th. Gulf Coast Traveler would like to congratulate each of these beach areas!

Leatherman, the nation's foremost beach expert and a professor at Florida International University of Miami, has released his 2001 ranking of America's Best Beaches.

Known as Dr. Beach, Dr. Leatherman devises his annual listing based on 50 criteria, falling under three main categories: physical factors such as sand softness, wave size and current strength; biological factors such as water color and quality, and presence of pests; and human-use factors and impacts such as lifeguard protection, visual obstructions and amenities.

AMERICA'S BEST BEACHES 2001
America's Top Beach for 2001 is: Poipu Beach, Hawaii
		2. St. Joseph Peninsula State Park, Florida 3. Kaanapali, Hawaii 4. Hanalei Beach, Hawaii 5. Caladesi Island State Park, Florida 6. Fort DeSoto Park, Florida 7. Hamoa Beach, Hawaii 8. Ocracoke Island, North Carolina 9. Cape Florida SRA, Florida 10. East Hampton Beach, New York