Stephen Leatherman, widely known as “Dr. Beach,” has announced his top beach pick for 2025.
This year’s favorite is a beach located on Long Island, New York, which often finds itself competing against other well-known spots in Hawaii and Florida.
“Coopers Beach, nestled on the South Shore of Long Island, is shielded from the chilly Labrador currents by the charming village of Southampton,” Leatherman noted.
“Renowned as the country’s first ‘Gold Coast’, this beach stretches for hundreds of yards and features fine white quartz sand,” he elaborated. “It’s backed by towering sand dunes blanketed in American beach grass and dotted with opulent mansions.”
Coopers Beach seems to be on an upward trajectory, having been ranked second last year and third in 2024.
For the remaining entries in the 2025 list, Wailea Beach in Maui and Poipu Beach in Kauai took the second and third spots, respectively. The top ten also includes beaches from Florida, South Carolina, and Massachusetts, alongside more from New York and Hawaii.
- Coopers Beach – Southampton, New York
- Wailea Beach – Maui, Hawaii
- Poipu Beach – Kauai, Hawaii
- Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park – Naples, Florida
- Main Beach – East Hampton, New York
- Beach Walker Park – Kiawah Island, South Carolina
- St. Andrews State Park – Panama City, Florida
- Kaunaoa – Big Island, Hawaii
- Lanikai Beach – Oahu, Hawaii
- Coast Guard Beach – Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Leatherman, who is a professor and director at the Institute of Coastal Research at Florida International University, has been compiling this annual list since 1991. His selections are based on 50 different criteria, including things like water temperature, sand softness, crime rates, and beach amenities.
He has also been known to grant “bonus points” to beaches that implement restrictions on certain activities, such as advocating for non-smoking policies.
For further details on previous winners and this year’s beach selections, you can check out Dr. Beach’s website.
