Enjoy a Weekend Escape to Topsail Hill Preserve State Park

I turned the big 50 last weekend and spent it at the beautiful Topsail Hill Preserve State Park. This gorgeous beach is located near Santa Rosa Beach in the panhandle of Florida. It was the perfect spot to celebrate, relax and reflect on my 50 years of life.

Topsail Hill Preserve State Park

Topsail Hill is so named because the white dunes of the beach resemble the white sails of ships that passed by on the Emerald Coast.

My pictures do not to justice to the beauty of this park and colors of the water. You will just have to go to experience this undeveloped and unspoiled spot of nature.

We did not get the full experience of what this park offers because of the relentless rain that plagued our weekend. We did put on rain gear and explored the best we could. It was cold and rainy and not the best time to walk on the beach, but that didn’t stop us from taking the mile hike to glimpse at this pristine beach.

We did not get a chance to visit the famous inland lakes and would love to go back and see them when the weather is more cooperative.

There is a tram service with several stops that runs hourly throughout the day. We never used it, because our schedule never seemed to align with the tram schedule. I do recommend taking a bike if you want the freedom to explore at your own pace. Or just walk like we did.

Hiking

There are several hiking trails to experience the surrounding ecosystem of Topsail Hill Preserve. We only walked the beach trail because of the rain, but it is well paved, and scenic.

I wish the weather had been better. I would have loved to have hiked the trails at this park.

Cabins at Topsail

We chose to stay at one the many cabins at Topsail for the weekend. I’m glad we did because of the weather. I love our camper, but it gets cramped when we are confined to it for long extended periods of times.

We did check out the campsites though. Although they looked a bit tight and close to each other, they were packed with campers. It is hard to get a camping reservation at this popular park. Make your reservations well in advance.

The cabins, or bungalows as our was called are basic, but have everything you need for a comfortable stay. Our bungalow was clean and well maintained.

Don’t forget to bring some games to entertain the family in case of bad weather. I am so glad I remembered to bring several.

Before you Go

Be sure to visit Topsail Hill Preserve State Park for more information and to make reservations. Also check out nearby Deer Lake State Park. There is no camping at this park, but is a beautiful park to explore and has fantastic views of the beach and gulf waters. Happy birthday to me and happy camping to you!