For beach-goers who like their sandy stretches on the natural side, it's hard to beat the scenic beaches located within U.S. National Park land. For the past four weeks, 10Best readers have been voting daily for their favorite national park beaches, and the results are in!
The top 10 winners in the category Best National Park Beach are as follows:
- Cape Lookout - Cape Lookout National Seashore
- Johnson Beach - Gulf Islands National Seashore
- Assateague Beach - Assateague Island National Seashore
- West Beach - Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore
- Sand Beach - Acadia National Park
- Rialto Beach - Olympic National Park
- Esch Road Beach - Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
- Cape Hatteras Beaches - Cape Hatteras National Seashore
- Coast Guard Beach - Cape Cod National Seashore
- Trunk Bay Beach - Virgin Islands National Park
A panel of experts picked the initial 20 nominees, and the top 10 winners were determined by popular vote. Experts Walter McLeod (Clean Beaches Coalition) and David and Kay Scott were chosen based on their extensive beach knowledge and experience.
Additional nominees in this category included Apollo Beach at Canaveral National Seashore, Baker Beach at Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Crescent Beach at Redwood National and State Parks, Cumberland Island at Cumberland Island National Seashore, Garden Key at Dry Tortugas National Park, Honokohau Beach at Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park, Julian Bay Beach at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Limantour Beach at Point Reyes National Seashore, Malaquite Beach at Padre Island National Seashore and Sunken Forest at Fire Island National Seashore.
Congratulations to all our national park winners!
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The Experts
Walter McLeod
Walter L. McLeod is founder of the Clean Beaches... Read More
Walter L. McLeod is founder of the Clean Beaches Coalition, America’s first eco-certification for beaches. He is the recipient of two White House Hammer Awards and is considered a national expert on energy and the environment.
Walter McLeod

Walter L. McLeod is founder of the Clean Beaches Coalition, America’s first eco-certification for beaches. He is the recipient of two White House Hammer Awards and is considered a national expert on energy and the environment.
David and Kay Scott
David and Kay Scott have been traveling since the... Read More
David and Kay Scott have been traveling since the late 1960s and writing about it since the 1970s, when they authored their first three-volume series of books about America's national parks. They subsequently authored the book Complete Guide to the National Park Lodges (currently in its 8th edition) plus numerous travel articles for newspapers and magazines. The Scotts have discussed travel on various radio programs and twice been interviewed on NBC's Today. Visit them at www.valdosta.edu/~dlscott/Scott.
David and Kay Scott

David and Kay Scott have been traveling since the late 1960s and writing about it since the 1970s, when they authored their first three-volume series of books about America's national parks. They subsequently authored the book Complete Guide to the National Park Lodges (currently in its 8th edition) plus numerous travel articles for newspapers and magazines. The Scotts have discussed travel on various radio programs and twice been interviewed on NBC's Today. Visit them at www.valdosta.edu/~dlscott/Scott.