Coopers Beach in Southampton 2nd Best Beach in US, Dr. Beach Says

Coopers Beach in Southampton came just one spot shy of reclaiming its title of best beach in America, according to Dr. Beach’s annual list ranking the nation’s top 10 beaches released Thursday.

The beach, which topped the list in 2010, dropped down to No. 8 in 2016 before inching back up the list. It came in at No. 5 in 2017, No. 4 two years in a row, and No. 3 last year.

“Coopers Beach is hundreds of yards wide, made of grainy white quartz sand,” Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman, a coastal expert and professor at Florida International University who has produced the list for the past 30 years, wrote in his review. 

“The beach is backed by large sand dunes covered by American beach grass interspersed with extravagant mansions,” he continued. “Some of the best beach access in the Hamptons exists on Coopers Beach; a snack bar serving lunch and drinks can be found here as well.”

Coming in at No. 1 this year was Hapuna Beach State Park on the big island of Hawaii. The full list can be found at drbeach.org.

Dr. Beach bases his annual list off 50 criteria, including categories such as softness of sand, water temperature, air temperature, amount of rain, wind speeds, sand color, water color, presence of wildlife, presence of lifeguards and even the overall smell of the beach.

-With Dylan Hoffmann