A remote, narrow, 9-mile beach in Florida known for its sunsets and stargazing along the Gulf of Mexico has been awarded America’s best beach for 2023 in an annual ranking by a university professor who goes by the name “Dr. Beach.” St. George Island State Park was honored in the 33rd annual Top 10 Beach List compiled by coastal expert Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman, professor in the Department of Earth & Environment at Florida International University in Miami. In a statement, Leatherman said of the 650 beaches in the U.S., St. George Island is a “favorite destination for beachgoers, anglers and bird watchers” and offers “some of the most pristine beach in the United States.” According to Getty, the “hidden gem” near the Panhandle and the Florida/Georgia Line is not overwhelmed by tourists and credits the views of the ocean, beach and sky as “stunning.” In second place was Duke Kahanamoku Beach in Oahu, Hawaii, followed by Coopers Beach in Southampton, New York and Caladesi Island State Park in Dunedin/Clearwater, Florida. Lighthouse Beach, in Buxton on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, nabbed fifth place.