This Stunning Beach Was Named No. 1 in the U.S.

"Ranked No. 1 by Dr. Beach using his 50-criterion system, I note that Coopers Beach in the village of Southampton, New York is a very wide, hundreds-of-yards beach of grainy white quartz sand shielded from the cold Labrador currents and backed by towering sand dunes covered in American beach grass and interspersed with extravagant mansions; it's about a 2.5-hour drive from Manhattan, parking is expensive but you can ride free on Circuit, an electric public cart that transports six to eight people from Southampton to the beach, and the best time to visit is September when summer tourists are gone but the ocean water is still warm." - Lydia Mansel Lydia Mansel Lydia Mansel is a writer with more than eight years of experience editing and writing for both brands and online publications—with a particular focus on travel, fashion, and lifestyle. She’s also the founder of the travel site justpacked.com.  Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines