Last updated on June 5th, 2025 at 02:46 pm
Two Gulf Coast beaches are among our nation’s best, according to Florida International University professor Stephen Leatherman, whose annual Top 10 list of best beaches in America is widely recognized because of its foundation in science.
- Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park in Naples, is ranked No. 4.
- St. Andrews Beach, just east of Panama City, is ranked as No. 7.
Last year’s list included Caladesi Island State Park in Dunedin, which has not reopened since it was damaged in the 2024 hurricane damage.
Dr. Leatherman’s list is not arbitrary. He is a scientist who adheres to 50 criteria, ranging from “beach softness” to algae to amenities and safety. It includes how crowded the beach gets, how noisy it is and whether the area is overdeveloped.
#4 — Delnor-Wiggins State Park, Naples
Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park, Naples. Delnor-Wiggins is across Wiggins Pass from Barefoot Beach. It’s an unspoiled beach good for shell collecting and even good snorkeling, which is rare for Gulf beaches.
Delnor-Wiggins is a story of a remarkable recovery. The Naples park was named the #8 beach in the U.S. in Dr. Leatherman’s annual ranking in 2024. But then Hurricanes Helene swept through on Sept. 26, 2024, and Hurricane Milton on Oct. 9, 2024.
The park was closed for months. It reopened officially on Feb. 4, 2025, after a massive effort. Tons of fine white sand had been deposited five feet deep on the parking lots and roads. The sand had to be shoveled up, sifted and then placed on the beach, where it was contoured to create a natural shoreline.
The recovery work isn’t complete. Drinking water is not available, and temporary restrooms are in use.
Dr. Leatherman, also known as Dr. Beach, likes it because “This barrier island beach boasts of beautiful white sand beaches and crystal-clear Gulf waters. Activities include swimming, snorkeling, paddle-boarding, shelling, and fishing. Wildlife in the park includes bald eagles, ospreys, and manatees.”
Here’s a Florida Rambler story on Delnor-Wiggins.
#7 — St. Andrews State Park, Panama City Beach
With its proximity to Panama City in the heart of Florida’s “Redneck Riviera,” this beach attracts a crowd in summer.
There are two fishing piers, a jetty and a boat ramp. Two nature trails offer opportunities for birding, especially during the spring and fall migrations. It’s also a good spot to observe the Monarch butterfly migration.
From March through November, take the park ferry to Shell Island for a day of shelling, sunning and beachcombing.
There’s a big campground with 176 sites on two loops. Three sites are set aside for “glamping” in luxury eco-tents with queen beds, two cots and air conditioning.
Dr. Beach ranks St. Andrews high for several qualities: “This strikingly white sandy beach is great for shelling and bird watching. Swimming and snorkeling are popular in both the Gulf of America and St. Andrews Bay on the other side. “
Here’s more about beach camping in the Panhandle, including St. Andrews State Park.
The Top 10 Best Beaches in America
- 1. Coopers Beach, Southampton, New York
- 2. Wailea Beach, Maui, Hawaii
- 3. Poipu Beach, Kauai, Hawaii
- 4. Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park, Naples, Florida
- 5. Main Beach, East Hampton, New York
- 6. Beachwalker Park, Kiawah Island, South Carolina
- 7. St. Andrew State Park, Panama Beach
- 8. Kaunaoa, Big Island, Hawaii
- 9. Lanikai Beach. Oahu, Hawaii
- 10. Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Past Florida winners Best Beaches in America
Dr. Beach has been ranking beaches for three decades and his list has included many from Florida over the years, making it a good way to identify top beaches in Florida.
Here are beaches that Dr. Beach has ranked as #1 at least once over the years:
St. George State Park, Florida Panhandle
Dr. Beach ranked St. George State Park, Florida Panhandle as the nation’s No. 1 and it made the top 10 list several times. If you are lucky enough to snag a campsite in this state park, it is also a great places to see stars under dark skies.
Read more: Apalachicola & St. George Island: Delightful town; spectacular beach
Grayton Beach State Park, Panhandle
Grayton is a perennial winner. In 2020, Grayton Beach State Park in the Florida Panhandle was named the #1 beach in the US, No. 3 in 2019 and also won the No. 1 spot back in 1994.
The dunes along the mile-long beach harbor a unique collection of “dune lakes”, and you can paddle from one to the other. Sandwiched in the middle of this 2000-acre state park is the town of Grayton Beach, a tiny beachside enclave that is a throwback to yesteryear. The state park’s campground features 50 sites in two loops, and at the western side of the park are 30 two-bedroom cabins.
Read more about Grayton Beach State Park
Fort De Soto Park, Tiera Verde / St. Pete
Fort De Soto Park, North Beach, St. Petersburg. This is one of our favorite places to camp. Here’s our guide to Fort De Soto, a Pinellas County park spread over five islands and 900 acres. It was named No. 1 in 2005, when Dr. Beach wrote: “North Beach at Fort DeSoto Park is a natural jewel on the finger of a sun-drenched city. It’s a long, wide, sugar-sand beach with great shelling and thriving natural dunes on the Gulf of Mexico.”
Siesta Key Beach, Sarasota
Siesta Key Beach, Sarasota. The sand at this county beach is special – it’s made of quartz, not coral. Dr. Beach crowned it #1 in 2011 and readers of TripAdvisor also named it the No. 1 beach in America in 2015.
St. Joseph Peninsula State Park, Panhandle
St. Joseph Peninsula State Park, Florida Panhandle. This pure-white-sand beach goes on and on — for 9.5 miles – and has some of the largest sand dunes in Florida. It was named #1 beach is 2002.
Best beaches in Florida that never made #1
Several beaches are always the bridesmaid: They make the top 10 list time and again, but never make it to the No. 1 spot. These include:
Barefoot Beach Preserve, Bonita Springs
Barefoot Beach Preserve County Park in Bonita Springs. In 2014, it made it all the way to #2 on the best beaches list. The beach was blasted by Hurricane Ian in 2022.
It’s a great place to beachcomb, see dolphins in the water and gopher tortoises in the dunes. As a county park, it is less well-known outside the area and you reach this beach by winding through a community of multimillion dollar homes. Here’s a Florida Rambler story on Barefoot Beach.
Cape Florida State Park, Key Biscayne
Cape Florida State Park, Key Biscayne. Cape Florida has made the list several times. One thing that makes Cape Florida State Park so great is the historic lighthouse, which you can climb for postcard views and to learn its fascinating history. The park also has two good restaurants. More about Cape Florida State Park.
About Dr. Beach
Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman is professor and director of the Laboratory for Coastal Research at Florida International University.
He received his Ph.D. in Environmental (Coastal) Sciences from the University of Virginia, and completed his undergraduate degree in Geosciences at North Carolina State University.
Prior to joining FIU, Leatherman was professor and director of the Laboratory for Coastal Research at the University of Maryland; director of the National Park Research Unit at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst; and assistant professor in the Department of Geology at Boston University.
Dr. Leatherman’s official web site: drbeach.org
Leatherman has authored or edited 16 books, including Sea Level Rise: Causes and Consequences; Barrier Island Handbook; Overwash Processes; Cape Cod: From Glaciers to Beaches; and America’s Best Beaches. He has also authored over 200 journal articles and technical reports, including articles in both Science and Nature.
Leatherman has provided expert testimony multiple times for the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives. He was also the on-screen host and co-producer of the 1992 film “Vanishing Lands”, winner of three international film awards, including the Golden Eagle.
Discover more Florida beaches in this Florida Rambler section.
The absolute best beach in Florida is, thankfully, on Tyndall Air Force Base and can’t be accessed by the general public. It’s wilderness and will stay that way.
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