Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The person behind the rankings is Stephen P. Leatherman, otherwise known as
Dr. Beach. He has compiled a sophisticated ranking system of 50 different criteria to
measure hundreds of beaches across the nation. Criteria include natural factors such
as softness of the sand and width at low tide, as well as human-influenced factors
such as availability of lifeguards and ease of public access. Water samples from each
beach are collected to determine factors such as turbidity, suspended human mater-
ial (sewage), and the amount of algae present.
So why is there always a different winner every year? Once a beach has won the
title it is subsequently retired from future consideration. With that thought in mind,
wouldn't it make sense that the “best of the best” would be the beach which was
voted number one when the rankings first started?
If this were the case (and the argument makes a lot of sense), the top beach in
the United States when the rankings began in 1991 was Kapalua Bay, so the grand-
daddy of best beaches in America is here on Maui.
D.T. Fleming Beach Park
D.T. Fleming Beach Park
was the most recent of Maui's beaches to be named number
one beach in the United States, garnering the title in 2006. Unlike any other beach on the
island, Fleming's is a hybrid stretch of sand where the southern half is dominated by Ritz-
Carlton resort guests and the northern half is popular with locals. This is one of the best
beaches on the island for bodysurfing and bodyboarding, although the surf here can get
rough and dangerous in the winter. Luckily this is one of the only beaches on the west side
with lifeguards. Other amenities include restrooms and showers on the northern section.
Out at the point on the southern end of the beach, jagged rocks shape a coastal formation
known as
Dragon's Teeth.
Parallel the golf course to reach the end of the point. Once
you reach the rocky outcropping, you're greeted with thunderous surf crashing onto the
rocks and glimpses of sea turtles poking their heads above the surface. There is a large
labyrinth here if you'd like to take a reflective stroll, and this is also a good vantage point
for snapping a photo looking back toward the beach. To access D.T. Fleming Beach Park,
take Honoapi'ilani Highway (Hwy. 30) 0.9 miles past the main entrance to Kapalua and
turn once you've reached the bottom of the hill for the largest parking area. The road will
dead-end in the lot.
