BEST BEACHES: Top Ten U.S. Shores of 2009 in Pictures

BEST BEACHES: Top Ten U.S. Shores of 2009 in Pictures
BEST BEACHES: Top Ten U.S. Shores of 2009 in Pictures
BEST BEACHES: Top Ten U.S. Shores of 2009 in Pictures
BEST BEACHES: Top Ten U.S. Shores of 2009 in Pictures
BEST BEACHES: Top Ten U.S. Shores of 2009 in Pictures
BEST BEACHES: Top Ten U.S. Shores of 2009 in Pictures
BEST BEACHES: Top Ten U.S. Shores of 2009 in Pictures
BEST BEACHES: Top Ten U.S. Shores of 2009 in Pictures
BEST BEACHES: Top Ten U.S. Shores of 2009 in Pictures
BEST BEACHES: Top Ten U.S. Shores of 2009 in Pictures
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BEST BEACHES: Top Ten U.S. Shores of 2009 in Pictures
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6. Main Beach, East Hampton, New York

A 300-year-old conservation agreement has protected East Hampton's Main Beach from overdevelopment, earning it a spot on the 2009 Top 10 Beaches ranking.

Coastal expert Stephen Leatherman, who researches the annual list, takes points off for overdevelopment and overcrowding.

If beach blankets must be placed side-to-side--creating a patchwork-quilt effect--the beach is deemed overcrowded. Likewise, beaches with high-rises or buildings close to the water don't rank highly, Leatherman said.

Some resorts provide an "ecological buffer zone" between the hotels and the natural beach, he said, allowing native coastal vegetation to thrive.
—Photograph by Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images
 

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