Yesterday we took a look at the top 5 beaches in the US, now lets take a look at the rest.
6. Main Beach, East Hampton, New YorkA 300-year-old conservation agreement has protected East Hampton's Main Beach from overdevelopment, earning it a spot on the 2009 Top 10 Beaches ranking.
Coastal expert Stephen Leatherman, who researches the annual list, takes points off for overdevelopment and overcrowding.
If beach blankets must be placed side-to-side--creating a patchwork-quilt effect--the beach is deemed overcrowded. Likewise, beaches with high-rises or buildings close to the water don't rank highly, Leatherman said.
Some resorts provide an "ecological buffer zone" between the hotels and the natural beach, he said, allowing native coastal vegetation to thrive.
—Photograph by Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images
7. Cape Hatteras, Outer Banks, North Carolina
The barrier island of Cape Hatteras was the first U.S. National Seashore, designated as part of a program that sets aside coastal areas for preservation.
With its historic fishing villages and some of the best surfing along the East Coast (above, surfers walk through beach grass), the cape was included in the 2009 Top 10 Beaches ranking, as judged by Florida International University's Laboratory for Coastal Research.
Coastal expert Stephen Leatherman, who researched the list, plans to launch a new program that will allow beaches to become certified as environmentally safe destinations.
7. Cape Hatteras, Outer Banks, North CarolinaThe barrier island of Cape Hatteras was the first U.S. National Seashore, designated as part of a program that sets aside coastal areas for preservation.
With its historic fishing villages and some of the best surfing along the East Coast (above, surfers walk through beach grass), the cape was included in the 2009 Top 10 Beaches ranking, as judged by Florida International University's Laboratory for Coastal Research.
Coastal expert Stephen Leatherman, who researched the list, plans to launch a new program that will allow beaches to become certified as environmentally safe destinations.
—Photograph by George F. Mobley/National Geographic Image Collection
8. Cape Florida State Park, Key Biscayne, Florida
A large offshore sand shoal makes the emerald-colored waters off Cape Florida State Park ideal for swimming for humans and sea life alike (above, two Atlantic green sea turtles are released into the ocean in 1983).
The park was designated as the eighth best U.S. beach on the 2009 Top 10 Beaches ranking.
The Cape Florida Lighthouse (above, in the distance) allows for a "breathtaking view of this beautiful beach," added coastal expert Stephen Leatherman, who helps compile the annual list for Florida International University's Laboratory for Coastal Research.
9. Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Accessible only by bicycle or shuttle bus, Coast Guard Beach in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, has coarse sand that creates steep slopes down to the water's edge.
Swimming is only possible during the summer, when water temperatures hover around 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit (15.5 to 21.1 Celsius). At other times visitors can explore the old Coast Guard station atop the bluffs, which offers a sweeping view of the barrier islands and the bay.
Coastal expert Stephen Leatherman, who chose the beach as the ninth best in the U.S. for 2009, said that the overall popularity of beaches in general makes their conservation crucial.
"We're trying to [strike] a delicate balance between making the resource available and preserving the environment," he said.
8. Cape Florida State Park, Key Biscayne, Florida
A large offshore sand shoal makes the emerald-colored waters off Cape Florida State Park ideal for swimming for humans and sea life alike (above, two Atlantic green sea turtles are released into the ocean in 1983).
The park was designated as the eighth best U.S. beach on the 2009 Top 10 Beaches ranking.
The Cape Florida Lighthouse (above, in the distance) allows for a "breathtaking view of this beautiful beach," added coastal expert Stephen Leatherman, who helps compile the annual list for Florida International University's Laboratory for Coastal Research.
—Photograph by Kathy Willens/AP
9. Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod, MassachusettsAccessible only by bicycle or shuttle bus, Coast Guard Beach in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, has coarse sand that creates steep slopes down to the water's edge.
Swimming is only possible during the summer, when water temperatures hover around 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit (15.5 to 21.1 Celsius). At other times visitors can explore the old Coast Guard station atop the bluffs, which offers a sweeping view of the barrier islands and the bay.
Coastal expert Stephen Leatherman, who chose the beach as the ninth best in the U.S. for 2009, said that the overall popularity of beaches in general makes their conservation crucial.
"We're trying to [strike] a delicate balance between making the resource available and preserving the environment," he said.
—Photograph by Michael Melford/National Geographic Image Collection
10. Beachwalker Park, Kiawah Island, South Carolina
South of Charleston, Beachwalker Park (above) is a public beach with plenty of recreational opportunities.
Visitors can canoe and kayak through tidal inlets--home to thousands of birds--or bike along the compact sand of the 10-mile (16.1-kilometer) barrier island.
The park was ranked tenth in the 2009 Top 10 Beaches list, compiled by coastal expert Stephen Leatherman of Florida International University's Laboratory for Coastal Research.
"I'm still in search of the perfect beach," Leatherman said. "The good news is I've found a lot of good ones in the U.S."
10. Beachwalker Park, Kiawah Island, South CarolinaSouth of Charleston, Beachwalker Park (above) is a public beach with plenty of recreational opportunities.
Visitors can canoe and kayak through tidal inlets--home to thousands of birds--or bike along the compact sand of the 10-mile (16.1-kilometer) barrier island.
The park was ranked tenth in the 2009 Top 10 Beaches list, compiled by coastal expert Stephen Leatherman of Florida International University's Laboratory for Coastal Research.
"I'm still in search of the perfect beach," Leatherman said. "The good news is I've found a lot of good ones in the U.S."
—Photograph courtesy Stephen Leatherman
I hope you now know where to go for a vacation and for a time out, have a nice time making choices. till next time.
I hope you now know where to go for a vacation and for a time out, have a nice time making choices. till next time.
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