AMANDA McCOY/SUN HERALDThe sun sets as beachgoers enjoy the sand and surf in Gulfport. USA Today has named the beach along the Mississippi Coast one of the most amazing American beaches.

AMANDA McCOY SUN HERALDBuy Photo

BILOXI — USA Today has named the beach along the Mississippi Coast one of the most amazing American beaches.

The newspaper Friday listed 20 of the best beaches in the U.S., and Coast beaches are listed alongside those in Hawaii, Florida, Massachusetts and South Carolina.

“Although Hurricane Katrina badly damaged Biloxi in 2005, the white-sand beaches have largely been redeveloped and revitalized,” the article said. “And with luxury casino resorts, golf courses and world-class seafood restaurants, the area earns Mississippi Gulf Coast its nickname of ‘the playground of the South.’”

Chuck Loftis, director of the Harrison County Sand Beach Department, said he didn’t know about the designation but was pleased.

“That’s fantastic,” he said Friday. “Great news. We can always use positive news.”

The article didn’t say what criteria were used to choose the beaches but did urge readers to “check out these 20 awe-inspiring beaches that America has to offer, from Alaska to Washington state (and nearly everywhere in between).”

The other beaches on the list include Shell Island and Fort Zachary Taylor in Florida; Anini Beach and Lanikai Beach in Hawaii; Natural Bridges State Beach in Santa Cruz, Calif.; Cannon Beach in Oregon; Old Orchard Beach in Maine; Secret Cove in Lake Tahoe, Nev.; Montauk Point State Park in New York; Isla Bianca Park in South Padre Island, Texas; Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan; Aquinnah Cliffs in Martha’s Vineyard; Second Beach in Washington; Leigh Lake in Wyoming; Folly Beach in South Carolina; Icy Strait Point in Alaska; Presque Isle State Park, Pennsylvania; Children’s Pool Beach, La Jolla, Calif.; and Harkers Island in North Carolina.

See the rest here: