This Is the Best Beach in America

July Fourth weekend is when summer really kicks off—which is why it seems the ideal time to present Dr. Stephen Leatherman's annual list of the top 10 beaches in America. Time Out reports that the man known as "Dr. Beach" has been offering up his shoreline rankings for more than three decades, and this year's picks range from coast to coast. His No. 1 choice: Ocracoke Lifeguarded Beach, part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore in North Carolina's Outer Banks. Time Out notes that "you have to be committed" to visit this top pick, as Ocracoke Island is nearly 30 miles off the mainland, requiring an hour-plus ferry ride to reach it. Here are the other beaches that made this year's top 10:

1. Ocracoke Lifeguarded Beach, Outer Banks, NC
2. Caladesi Island State Park, Dunedin, Fla.
3. Coopers Beach, Southampton, NY
4. St. George Island State Park, St. George Island, Fla.
5. Duke Kahanamoku Beach, Oahu, Hawaii
6. Lighthouse Beach, Outer Banks, NC
7. Coronado Beach, San Diego
8. Wailea Beach, Maui, Hawaii
9. Beachwalker Park, Kiawah Island, SC
10. Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod, Mass.

Check out Dr. Beach's site to see past winners. (More beaches stories.)