Dr. Stephen Leatherman, who has been using the Dr. Beach alias for 30 years, released his comprehensive "Top Ten Beaches" Thursday morning, where St. George Island State Park secured the No. 4 spot.

The opening of the St. George Island State Park coincides with the annual St. George Island Chili Cookoff, this year is the 37th iteration, and signals the beginning of beach season.

It's been almost five months since Hurricane Michael made landfall and Thursday was the first day that the St. George Island State Park has been reopened.

FRANKLIN COUNTY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - “Dr. Beach,” released his top 10 public beaches for the year, and St. George Island State Park topped the list. He has ranked America’s 650 public beaches ...

You might spot many types of birds on St. George Island. getty. When you think of Florida’s iconic, pristine white sand beaches, you might think of the Keys, Destin, or South Beach.