Ocracoke ranked best beach in the U.S.

The Outer Banks is the home to the top beach in the United States, according to coastal expert “Dr. Beach.”

Stephen Leatherman, a professor at Florida International University, released his annual ratings of the 10 best beaches in the country Wednesday, with tiny Ocracoke Island grabbing the top slot for the second time since 2007.

Leatherman, known as Dr. Beach, has been ranking America’s best beaches since 1991 and uses 50 criteria in the evaluation process of swimmable beaches. Factors include beach width at low tide, sand softness and color, wildlife, pests including mosquitoes, available amenities and public safety.

“Ocracoke, once the home of Blackbeard the pirate, is still a special place — it is my favorite getaway beach,” Leatherman wrote of his top pick. “Here you will find some of the wildest beaches in the country. Big surf dominates in late summer so families with children may want to come earlier in the year. Don’t expect to play golf or stay at the Ritz; the main pursuits are swimming and beachcombing.”

Sixteen-mile-long Ocracoke Island, devastated by flooding from Hurricane Dorian in 2019, is just now returning to some normalcy, with businesses rebuilding and tourism making a comeback.

The village is home to a small lighthouse built in 1823, a British cemetery and a pen of once-wild horses. It was also a favorite hideout for Blackbeard the pirate, who died there in a battle with British forces in November 1718. Many full-time islanders are descendants of William Howard, a pirate under Blackbeard who once owned all of Ocracoke and died at the age of 108.

Another Outer Banks beach, the Lighthouse Beach on Hatteras Island, also makes an appearance on this year’s list, ranking sixth.

“Lighthouse Beach is where the old spiral-striped Cape Hatteras Lighthouse once stood until it was moved landward in 1999 because of beach erosion,” Leatherman wrote. “This lifeguarded beach is the number one surfing spot on the U.S. Atlantic Coast as the large offshore sand banks, known as Diamond Shoals, cause wave refraction focusing wave energy on this beach.”

Leatherman’s top-ranked beaches this year include, in order:

1. Ocracoke Lifeguarded Beach, Outer Banks of North Carolina

2. Caladesi Island State Park, Dunedin/Clearwater, Florida

3. Coopers Beach, Southampton, New York

4. St. George Island State Park, Florida Panhandle

5. Duke Kahanamoku Beach, Oahu, Hawaii

6. Lighthouse Beach, Buxton, Outer Banks of North Carolina

7. Coronado Beach, San Diego, California

8. Wailea Beach, Maui, Hawaii

9. Beachwalker Park, Kiawah Island, South Carolina

10. Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Kari Pugh, kari.pugh@virginiamedia.com