New York state has more than 54,556 square miles to explore. Yet somehow, the 469 square miles of New York City tend to hog all the limelight. Sure, the city has fantastic architecture, world-class restaurants, Broadway spectaculars, and those oh-so-gorgeous hotels. But there’s a lot to love about the rest of the state — including one tiny beach that was recently named one of the top beaches to visit in 2024. 

Coopers Beach, which sits on the south shore of Long Island, New York, ranked No. 2 on Dr. Beach’s list of the 10 Best Beaches list for 2024. And Dr. Beach really is an authority you can trust. The website, which is dedicated to uncovering all the best beaches in the world, is run by coastal scientist Stephen Leatherman, who has been diligently ranking the best beaches for three decades. He’s also a professor and director of the Laboratory for Coastal Research at Florida International University, so yeah, he’s got the bona fides to pull off a list like this. 

To determine which spots make the top 10 list, Leatherman ranks beaches based on 50 criteria, including everything from water temperature to just how soft the sand is, the size of waves, the views, and public access. After looking at all the data, he put Coopers Beach in second, largely thanks to its perfectly soft sand. 

“As the first ‘Gold Coast’ in the country, Coopers Beach is hundreds of yards wide, made of grainy white quartz sand,” Dr. Beach explained. “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.” The beach also has chair and umbrella rentals available, but visitors should note it also has a rather steep $40 parking fee, so just make sure you’re aware of it to avoid surprises. 

As for which beach was named No. 1, that honor went to Duke Kahanamoku Beach on the west end of Waikiki Beach. And one look at those gin-clear waters and soft white sand makes it easy to see why it would take the crown.

See the full list of the 10 best beaches for 2024 at drbeach.org.