The best beach in the Carolinas is in SC near Charleston, scientist says. Here’s why 

Beachwalker Park on Kiawah Island in Charleston County is the best beach in the Carolinas, according to a new ranking. Home to tidal inlets, a boardwalk and miles of fine sand, Beachwalker Park is a coastal Carolina gem.

The honor comes as part of a 2024 list of America’s Best Beaches by Florida International University Laboratory for Coastal Research director Stephen “Dr. Beach” Leatherman.

The geoscientist, who has authored or edited 16 books and testified about coastal issues in congress 11 times, has released annual rankings of the best beaches in the United States for the last 30 years.

Beaches receive numerical scores based on 50 criteria that Leatherman ranks from a scale of one through five. Categories range from natural features like sand softness, water temperature and wildlife to human factors like amenities, lifeguards and litter.

This year, Beachwalker Park came in at number five in the nation. No other Carolina beaches made the cut this year, but Ocracoke Lifeguard Beach in North Carolina took the number-one spot in 2022.

Leatherman hails Beachwalker Park as a nature lovers’ coast where visitors can paddle through the inlets and walk or bike down the beach.

“The water is not clear, but it is clean and provides fantastic seafood,” Leatherman wrote.

Florida and Hawaii both had three beaches in the top-ten ranking, with the Aloha State taking home top honors. Other states on the list include Massachusetts and New York.

Here’s the complete 2024 America’s Best Beaches list:

10. Fort De Soto Park

St. Petersburg, Florida

9. Coast Guard Beach

Cape Cod, Massachusetts

8. Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park

Naples, Florida

7. Poipu Beach

Kauai, Hawaii

6. Main Beach

East Hampton, New York

5. Beachwalker Park

Kiawah Island, South Carolina

4. Caladesi Island State Park

Dunedin Clearwater, Florida

3. Wailea Beach

Maui, Hawaii

2. Coopers Beach

Southampton, New York

1. Duke Kahanamoku Beach

Oahu, Hawaii

This story was originally published October 26, 2024 at 6:00 AM.