Dr. Beach (aka Dr. Stephen Leatherman from Florida International University in Miami)
lists these as the top 10 beaches in the U.S.
1. Ocracoke Lifeguarded Beach, Outer Banks, NC
2. Caladesi Island State Prk, Clearwater, FL
3. Coopers Beach, Southhampton, NY
4. Hanalei Beach, Kauai, HI
5. Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod, MS
6. Hamoa Beach,Maui, HI
7. Main Beach, East Hampton, NY
8. Coronado Beach, Coronado, CA
9. Lighthouse Point Park, Daytona Beach, FL
10. Siestat Beach, Sarasota, FL.
What's your favorite?

What's his criteria? Having looked (briefly) at his web site, I assume cleanliness (of water and beach/sand) is one of the big ones but what else?
Long swimming season? Beachcombing possibilities? Family friendly? Dog friendly? Most photogenic? Safety? (no or rare rip tides, sneaker waves, toxic algae, jellyfish invasion) Is there free access to all of them?

I love Cannon Beach because of the laid-back atmosphere, the tide pools, the dog friendliness, the rocks. But it's not a beach for swimming.

They all sound like nice beaches, though.

Obviously length of seson is not important - since he picked 2 on Long Island - where the season is short. Nor is calm water - since they are directly on the North Atlantic- and you can get huge breakers and major undertows.

I think he goes on quality of sand, quality/clenliness of water, safety/quality of life guards and overall ambiance.

I agree with some beaches in Oregon such as Cannon.

Also Carmel & Laguna Beach in CA are my favorites.

But the best I've seen are in the Carribean.

OK, I believe Dr. Beach, however, the most beautiful beach I've seen ever is the beaches along Cancun. OMG, makes you believe in God, not that we crawled out of a lake.

I am not surprised that Coast Guard Beach in the National Seashore in Eastham, MA made the top 10 best beaches. A few years a go it was the Wall Street Journal's #1 choice for best beach in continental US. Clean sand, wide expansive uncrowded beach, with natural surroundings as far as the eye can see are typical of this beach. We have seen seals bobbing in the water and whales breaching just off the coast during our summer visits to Fort Hill. Awesome!

The fact that he never repeats a beach in his 10 Best list means that if he lives long enough, every beach in America will get listed.

Really, not that much help. There are so many great beaches in Hawaii that he is is now on the second tier.

Siesta Key in Sarasota. It's famous for having sand like talcum powder, even the Travel Channel called it a favorite.

Best beaches are like best wines. The best one is the one you're on right now.

I would like to find out what department he is associated with that lets him make use of his expertise to rank beaches for public at large! I want to work there.

I have been to only four of his top ten (two in Hawaii, Siestat, and Caladesi.... they are remarkable and quite different from each other). If he changes his list every year, must be hard to keep up with this guy!

Oops... made a mistake and Edit Post won't allow me to change it! Not that it matters but I confused the Hawaii beaches with the ones on Big Island. No, never been to Kauai or Maui. That means I have done only two!

whats the criteria for the OPs list? Best beaches for what exactly? fishing? sailing? swimming? scuba diving? sand castle building? sea shell collecting? ...its kind of a broad topic, could you narrow it down some?

just curious what others would consider a favorite beach of theirs and why they picked that particular beach. I love the beaches in Cancun because the water is so clear. I also love Hanuama Bay (beach) in Oahu because of the snorkling. Each beach has a different allure. And each person has a favorite beach for reasons different from my own.

Most folks do not think of the US Virgin Islands, but you can find some great beaches on St. John.

I just returned from 4 days on Captiva Island. I thought the beach was absolutely gorgeous! AND I took my two dogs. They were allowed off leash and enjoyed swimming too.

We stayed at 'Tween Waters. There were at least a dozen different dogs staying there.

In my opinion the Florida beaches are the best if you are wanting one on the US mainland. The sand is pristine white and the water ranges from emerald green to turquoise blue. What more could you ask for?

I can't remember which major travel magazine it was that named Cannon Beach one of the 10 best in WORLD. I've been going there regularly for 40+ years, and have to say I wonder what they were thinking???

Most folks do not think of the US Virgin Islands, but you can find some great beaches on St. John.

It's been years, but I agree, Trunk Bay on St. John's, and the beach at Magens Bay in St. Thomas are stunning.

Black Beach. West Falmouth MA.

Quaint, Quiet, Beautiful, quintessential cape cod in its most raw form.

Here's the newest edition 2008.

AMERICA'S BEST BEACHES 2008

1. Caladesi Island State Park, Dunedin/Clearwater, Florida
2. Hanalei Beach, Kauai, Hawaii
3. Siesta Beach, Sarasota, Florida
4. Coopers Beach, Southampton, New York
5. Coronado Beach, San Diego, California
6. Main Beach, East Hampton, New York
7. Hamoa Beach, Maui, Hawaii
8. Cape Hatteras,Outer Banks, North Carolina
9. Cape Florida State Park, Key Biscayne, Florida
10. Beachwalker Park,Kiawah Island, South Carolina