Coast Guard Beach at Cape Cod National Seashore was among the country's top 10 beaches for 2015, according to Dr. Beach./Dr. Beach

You want surf, sun, and a great family environment, then you can't beat a summer vacation at either Cape Hatteras National Seashore or Cape Cod National Seashore. Both ranked in "Dr. Beach's" Top 10 ocean beaches in the United States.

In compiling his rankings, coastal expert and Florida International University professor Stephen P. Leatherman, looks at water temperature, smell, whether off-road vehicles are permitted, whether the ocean floor is sandy or heavy with foot-crunching cobbles, pollution, the slope and width of the beach, whether dangerous longshore currents are common, the color of the sand and water, whether bugs are a nuisance and whether wildlife in the form of shorebirds are plentiful.

In the past Cape Hatteras's Ocracoke Lifeguarded Beach had won national honors from Dr. Beach. This year, Cape Hatteras ranked No. 5. No Cape Cod National Seashore beach has ever won the national title for best beach, but this year the seashore's Coast Guard Beach ranked No. 7. Back in 2012 it was ranked No. 6 by Dr. Beach, while Cape Hatteras was No. 10.