Topsail Hill Preserve State Park

Topsail Hill Preserve State Park offers a wide variety of natural resources including 3.2 miles of secluded, white sand beaches with majestic dunes over 25 feet tall. Three rare coastal dune lakes provide excellent freshwater fishing. Although boats are not allowed, fishing from the shoreline yields bass, bream, panfish, and catfish.

Lakes, pristine beaches, old-growth long leaf pines, sand pine scrub, and a variety of wetlands offer a bird-watching and hiking paradise. Visitors may bike, walk, or enjoy a quick ride to the beach on the tram service to swim, fish, sunbathe, or beachcomb. A full-facility campground features a swimming pool, tennis courts, and shuffleboard courts. Furnished bungalows are available for weekly stays. A camp store offers a variety of camping items, as well as snacks and drinks. Located in Santa Rosa Beach on the West end of Scenic 30A.

Topsail Hill Preserve State Park has been selected as one of the top 25 amazing locations in the country in Reserve America’s Top 100 Campgrounds of 2010. The unique natural formations, soaring dunes and coastal dune lakes, helped the campground stand out above the rest. Topsail also was identified as one of the top 25 park beaches; it ranked second for tours and events, and second for parks with unique cabins.

Throughout the year, there are ranger-led interpretive programs with topics that include fishing in the surf, freshwater fishing, beachcombing and learning about burning. Other guided tours offer wildlife discussions on sea turtles, alligators, sharks, butterflies, the Choctawhatchee Beach mouse, shore birds and birds of prey. Check ranger activities for program details.

The park’s options of tent and RV sites, cabins and bungalows make this a perfect destination for family-friendly year-round vacations.

A tram carries guests to the beach, but visitors can also walk or ride bikes along the paved path to the shore. There are 13 miles of hiking trails for those wishing to explore the 1,640-acre park.

The entrance from U.S. Highway 98 is currently closed. Day use visitors and campers enter the park from Scenic 30A by the flagpoles.

Reserve America recognized 22 other Florida state parks in 17 categories in this year’s judging.
 

CampgroundMapTopsail (PDF - 262.88KB) -

TopsailBirdList (PDF - 190.67KB) -

topsailhillMap (PDF - 105.48KB) -

topsailhillSPmap (PDF - 105.48KB) -

• The Friends of Topsail Hill Preserve State Park
  7525 West Scenic Hwy. 30-A
  Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459

 For a great way to learn about Topsail Hill Preserve State Park and its attractions – check out these activities: you can take a hike, participate in a group discussion or enjoy a puppet show. There’s even a breakfast with a park ranger where you can ask all kinds of questions, maybe even find out what a park ranger really does.

Park Service Specialist Leda Suydan is one of the team that offers guided tours and special events at Topsail and shares the latest on the programs at the park.

Guided tours like the beachcombing interpretive walk are active. Participants go to the beach where the rangers teach what to look for there. You can discover the difference between sea beans and egg casings or the type of shells you find scattered along the shoreline. Other interpretive programs are guided walks where rangers take a group out to look at flora and fauna or visit the various ecosystems at the park.

Another interpretive offering features sea turtles. Fred Provost, one of the Topsail rangers, has a hands-on turtle program on the beach where he demonstrates the various turtle crawls in a sand box he created. To recreate the actions of a nesting sea turtle, he has the children crawl around obstacles as she would to get to a safe and protected spot to lay her eggs.
Dan Burton has a snake program with live snakes that he shows to the public (non-poisonous) of course.

There are also puppet shows, mainly for children but adults enjoy them as well.
Breakfast with a ranger provides biscuits and gravy, eggs, pancakes, orange juice and coffee for $4. While visitors eat breakfast, a ranger answers questions about the park and park life. The entrance fee is waived for this event.

The tours are for most ages, from toddler to adult, however the rangers adjust the talks for the age of the audience. Participants include campers as well as locals that come to park for the day. For day use visitors, the cost of the programs is $6 for a car of two or more and $4 for one person.
Topsail was recently select
ed as one of the top campgrounds in the country providing tours and events. Although the summer is a busy time with lots of activities, there is always something happening a Topsail.

For a schedule of events, contact the park at (850) 267-8330.

Amphitheater

The amphitheater is located centrally in the campground and is used for interpretive programs year round and may be rented for special occasions. Please contact the ranger station for more details.

Beaches

Swim, sun, beachcomb for sea beans and watch shorebirds along 3.2 miles of quiet, white quartz sand beaches with the emerald waters of the Gulf of Mexico lapping on the shore. A tram running every 2 hours starting at 9 AM will take you to the beach or if you choose you can walk or bike a half-mile along the path to the beach.

Bicycling

Come and enjoy a beautiful ride along our half-mile stretch of paved road that leads to the beach. Riders may conveniently access the newly paved county path along Hwy 30A into the park. Please remember state law requires riders under the age of 16 must wear a properly fitted bike helmet.

Birding

Topsail Hill Preserve has more than 13 miles of trails to view a variety inland and shorebirds. One can see threatened snowy plovers and piping plovers. Topsail Hill Preserve is part of the Great Florida Birding Trail. You can see red shouldered hawks, eastern bluebirds, red cardinals and ospreys.

Cabins

Catch the tram from Topsail Hill’s bungalows and cabins to 3.2 miles of white sandy beaches. One bedroom bungalows are located within Gregory E. Moore RV campground near the tram stop. Available for weekly or monthly rental, each bungalow is fully furnished and equipped with all appliances, cable TV and linens. A sleeper sofa in the living area provides additional sleeping accommodations. Each bungalow has a carport, full kitchen, bathroom, living room and utility room.

Cabins accommodate up to six people with two bedrooms and two baths, full kitchen and a living/dining area. Cabin amenities include a screened porch, picnic table and grill. The initial set of linens is provided. Phones are not provided.

Reservations may be made up to 11 months in advance through ReserveAmerica. Book Online or call (800) 326-3521.

Camping, Full Facility

The Gregory E Moore RV Resort has 156 sites with water, 30 or 50 amp electric, cable, sewer, (non-heated) swimming pool, laundry facilities and shuffleboard courts. Bathrooms with showers are heated and cooled. Big rigs welcome.

Twenty-two tent sites include an elevated tent pad, a fire ring and water and electric hook-ups. A restroom with showers is located in the tent camping area. Pets are welcome at the campsites. Campers can bike, walk or take a tram ride to the beach. A camp store offers camping items, as well as snacks and drinks. Maximum RV length = 45 ft.

Reservations: Reservations may be made up to 11 months in advance through ReserveAmerica. Book Online or call (800) 326-3521.

Concession & Restaurant

Topsail Hill Preserve State Park has a small concession located in the park office for campers and visitors. The small store has basic recreation and camping items for your convenience.

Fishing

Try your luck on our excellent fishing spots. Enjoy fish water fishing on one of our coastal dune lakes. These lakes are full of many types of freshwater fish including bass, pan fish, and freshwater catfish. The 3.2 mile stretch of secluded beach is excellent for saltwater fishing. Catch a pompano, red fish, Spanish or king mackerel. License is required for fresh and saltwater fishing.

Hiking/Nature Trail

Explore our Morris Lake Nature Trail as it meanders 2.5 miles through ancient dunes and scrub communities. Along this trail you can see old remnants of iron tracks can be seen from the first WWII missile development program in the U.S. Hikers can also enjoy miles of abandoned jeep trails within the park. Along Campbell Lake Nature Trail, enthusiasts may discover a diverse array of plants and animals covering an area of over 5 miles.

Pets

Pets are allowed at Topsail Hill and must be well behaved and on a six-foot leash at all times.

Picnic Pavilion

The beach located off of Hwy 98 has a small picnic pavilion for visitors to enjoy.

Picnicking

Enjoy a picnic under our picnic pavilions located at the end of Topsail Road and near the beach boardwalk.

Showers, Day Visitors

There are outdoor showers for rinsing off after a day at the beach near the beach bathhouse at the end of the tram path.

Swimming

Swim in the emerald waters of the Gulf of Mexico anywhere along 3.2 miles of quiet, white quartz sand beaches. Lifeguards are not available.

Tours

Topsail Hill offers ranger programs on Saturdays for all visitors to enjoy.

Visitor Center

Located in our day-use area parking lot off of Hwy. 30A, there is a tram station along with picnic tables and ADA restrooms. Our campground has two large ADA bath houses and a laundry facility. There is an ADA restroom near our beach boardwalk at the end of the tram road. The park has an internet connection located on the clubhouse porch across from the park office.

Wildlife Viewing

Topsail Hill Preserve State Park has excellent trails, beaches, and lakes to view wildlife, including birds, reptiles, and mammals. Topsail Hill Preserve is part of the Great Florida Birding Trail