Image by Flickr user benchristen Image by 20090523-kiawah.jpg
"Dr. Beach" has rated Beachwalker Park on Kiawah as the number 10 beach in the country.
[gmap markers=blue::32.58862240447704,-80.12861251831055 |zoom=10 |center=32.64978208022306,-80.06973266601562 |width=220px |height=200px |control=Small |type=Map] Read more stories on this subject in our beach topic page.
Relax, it's the public beach on Kiawah.
For the 19th year in a row, Dr. Stephen Leathermann has ranked the top beaches in our nation and this year a Charleston-area beach made the list!
Professor of International Studies at Florida International University, "Dr. Beach" is the man. He rates beaches based on sand and water quality as well as safety, facilitates and environmental management.
Why Kiawah you ask? Well, he explains:
South of Charleston, Beachwalker Park is the public beach located on the southern end of Kiawah Island. Tennis and golf are featured here, as well as interpretative tours of the fauna and flora of the island. This is certainly a nature-lovers coast, so visitors should pack their canoes and kayaks to paddle through the tidal inlets or walk down to St. Sam’s Inlet to see thousands of birds. The water is not clear here, but it is clean and provides for fantastic seafood for low-country cooking. Visitors can also pack their bicycles, since the sand is compact enough to ride along the 10-mile long barrier island.
Beachwalker Park is located on the west end of Kiawah Island and is a part of Charleston Parks and Recreation. It's packed with amenities including outdoor showers, snack bar, picnic area, lifeguards on duty (seasonally), dressing areas, and chair and umbrella rentals.
But beware the $7 parking fee -- in fact you should check out the beach's hours and other fees.
Thank you Kiawah for granting the public a little piece of paradise! Can we play the Ocean Course for free?
Here is a map to Beachwalker Beach.
Also on the list:
1: Hanalei Bay, Kauai, Hawaii
2: Siesta Beach, Sarasota, Florida
3: Coopers Beach, Southampton, New York
4: Coronado Beach, San Diego, California
5: Hamoa Beach, Maui, Hawaii
6: Main Beach, East Hampton, New York
7: Cape Hatteras, Outer Banks, North Carolina
8: Cape Florida State Park, Key Biscayne, Florida
9: Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod, Massachusetts
10: Beachwalker Park, Kiawah Island, South Carolina
