Caleb Jones
In this April 21, 2020, photo, a woman walks on Waikiki Beach in Honolulu. Stephen Leatherman, a coastal scientist and professor at Florida International University, has been drafting a list of the best beaches in the U.S. under the alias Dr. Beach since 1991. This year he has named Kahanamoku Beach, on the west end of Waikiki Beach and in view of the iconic Diamondhead volcano in the distance, the sixth-best beach in the country. (AP Photo/Caleb Jones) May 26, 2021 - 10:53 PM
HONOLULU (AP) â Cruising along the west side of Hawaii s Big Island, the landscape is dominated by ancient volcanic flows and jagged shorelines. Then you get to Hapuna Beach.
St. George Island beaches named 4th in 2021 Top 10 Beach list by Dr. Beach
William Kronholm/AP
FILE - In this Feb. 5, 2007, file photo, miles of empty beach and billions of sea shells await a lone beachcomber at St. George Island State Park near Apalachicola in the Florida Panhandle on Feb. 5, 2007. Stephen Leatherman, a coastal scientist and professor at Florida International University, has been drafting a list of the best beaches in the U.S., under the alias Dr. Beach since 1991. In 2021, he has named St. George Island State Park the fourth-best beach in the country. (AP Photo/William Kronholm, File)
Only 2 Florida beaches make Dr. Beach s top 10 list
St. George Island State Park, Caladesi Island State Park among top 10
STEVE CANNON/AP
Marc Moncrief, right, along his wife Sherry, center, daughter Megan, left, 16, son Trevor, 13, back, celebrate the holiday, Monday July 4, 2005, at St. George Island, Fla. Three shark attacks in Gulf of Mexico waters off the Florida coast ahead of the Fourth of July weekend didn t keep tourists off the white sands of this resort island. Marc Moncrief, 42, of Calvary, Ga., acknowledged the shark stories had them debating just what exactly they would do in the murky water in the 90-degree heat. (AP Photo/Steve Cannon)
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A beach only a short drive from Tallahassee has been ranked as one of the best in America by Dr. Beach.
Dr. Stephen Leatherman, who has been using the Dr. Beach alias for 30 years, released his comprehensive Top Ten Beaches Thursday morning, where St. George Island State Park secured the No. 4 spot.
Leatherman cited assets like great beachcombing, shelling and sugary fine, white sand beach for the high ranking of the 2,000-acre park. This long barrier island, far from urban areas, is a favorite destination for beachgoers, anglers and bird watchers as nature abounds, he wrote in his rankings. While St. George Island suffered a big hit in 2018 by Hurricane Michael, the area has substantially recovered, especially the sugary fine, white sand beach. There is much to explore.
Camping in February! What were we thinking? But our friends wanted to go to north Florida so we were all for it. Our destination was a small town called Carrabelle FL just east of Apalachicola. I think I might have seen it in the blink of an eye on the way to Pensacola once. It's a long part of the panhandle called "The Forgotten Coast," one of the last stretches of beautiful unspoiled beaches, and less developed. It is not crowded with high rises or strip malls, just quiet towns along Hwy 98. "The Forgotten Coast" to the east is noted by St.