Its cozy downtown area and gorgeous sugar sand beaches will send you into a state of wonder. This resilient town has a small population of just over 3,350 people; however, it wasn't always this tiny.

"Before or after your beach walk, catch the trailhead at the end of the parking lot to hike along the rare dune lake on a multi surface path -- sand, mulch, shells," wrote a Tripadvisor reviewer.

Some of the country's best stretches of sand, according to acclaimed athlete and St. Lucia local Julien Alfred.

Susan B. Barnes Perhaps the biggest draw to Henderson Beach State Park – aside from its relaxed atmosphere – is the sugar-white sand of the mile-long beach, made up of pure Appalachian quartz.