Coopers Beach In Southampton Ranked #2 In Nation By Dr. Beach

SOUTHAMPTON, NY — One of the most idyllic beaches in the Hamptons was ranked #2 in the nation — Coopers Beach in Southampton was, once again, named one of America's Top 10 Beaches for 2021 by Dr. Beach.

And it's not the first time the beach has earned top honors: Coopers Beach was also named one of America's Top 10 Beaches in 2019 by coastal expert Stephen "Dr. Beach" Leatherman, a professor at Florida International University.

Dr. Beach creates the list every year using 50 criteria, which include water, sand quality, safety, and management.

In past years, Dr. Beach has said that Coopers Beach, which ranked #4 on his list for 2019, "is located on the south shore of Long Island, New York, shielded from the cold Labrador currents in the beautiful village of Southampton."

This year, Dr. Beach wrote that as the first "Gold Coast" in the country, "Coopers Beach is hundreds of yards wide, made of grainy white quartz sand. The beach is backed by large sand dunes covered by American beach grass interspersed with large and extravagant mansions. Some of the best beach access in the Hamptons exists on Coopers Beach, and a snack bar serving lunch and drinks can be found here as well."

Dr. Beach has been compiling the list since 1991. Coopers Beach also took the #1 spot in 2010 and came in at #5 in 2017.

Here's the full list of Dr. Beach's Top 10 Beaches in America for 2021

1) Hapuna Beach State Park, Big Island, Hawaii

2) Coopers Beach, Southampton

3) Okracoke Lifeguarded Beach, Outer Banks of North Carolina

4) St. George Island State Park, Florida Panhandle

5) Lighthouse Beach, Buxton, Outer Banks of North Carolina

6) Duke Kahanamoku Beach, Oahu, Hawaii

7) Caladesi Island State Park, Dunedin Clearwater, Florida

8) Coronado Beach, San Diego, California

9) Beachwalker Park, Kiawah Island, South Carolina

10) Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod, Massachusetts