Topsail Hill Preserve State Park

About Topsail Hill Preserve State Park

The park offers a variety of natural resources, including secluded white sand beaches and majestic dunes that are 1.5 meters high. Three rare dune lakes along the coast offer excellent freshwater fishing, and although boats are not allowed, coastal fishing produces perch, bream, panfish and catfish.

The old pines, pines and tall grasses - long grown - offer a bird and hiker's paradise. Visitors can go cycling or hiking, swim on the beach or take a short tram ride to the beaches, and they can swim, cycle or walk along the dune lakes and sandy beaches and dunes.

The Gregory E. Moore RV Resort has a full service RV park, with two cabins, one twin, three bathrooms and a four-bed and five-star hotel. Furnished bungalows are available for a weekly stay, and the camp offers camping items. On the west side of the park, near the parking lot at the top of Topsoil Hill Preserve, is a small, three-bedroom, single-story family home.

Topsail Hill Preserve State Park is named after the high dunes in the nature reserve and is ideal as a hiking trail, beach and lake to observe wildlife such as birds, reptiles and mammals. In the Gulf, the tallest dune resembles the sail of a ship and is the only one of its kind in North Carolina.

The reserve was bought in 1992 and in 1998 a camper resort was added, the total Topsail Hill Preserve covers 1637 hectares. The funds for the purchase of the property came from the Florida Department of Natural Resources and the National Park Service (also known as "Forever Florida").

When Europeans entered the area, they began to cut and collect turpentine from pine trees. In fact, Topsail Hill is the most intact coastal ecosystem in Florida and was purchased for its beautiful, sparkling white sand beaches and natural beauty.

Here is a small settlement that could be called Topsail Hill Village, the first of its kind in Florida and one of the oldest in the country.

In this enclosure there is a large collection of turpentine, an essential component in the production of many medicines. The deep "V" on the cat's face was cut off to produce juice collected where a pot was hanging from a nail in a tree. This juice was then boiled and the evaporated turpentine collected, and then the sap of the tree was ground to powder. In those days when ships were the most important means of transport, turpentines were very important for ship maintenance.

The Topsail Hill Preserve State Park has two campsites, one on the main campsite and one on the other side of the park. Bungalows can be rented weekly or monthly and are located on Topsails Hill Campground on Highway 30A, right next to the highway. Visit the Visitor Centre near the main office and campsite on the 30a highway to learn more about the park and local attractions. The small shop offers simple leisure and camping items for your convenience, as well as a variety of food and beverages and souvenirs.

The Gregory E. Moore RV Resort has a variety of bungalows available for rent in Topsail Hill Preserve State Park. Each bungalow with bedroom has an additional bedroom with a pull-out couch. The bungalows are fully furnished and equipped with appliances, cable TV, bed linen and a fully equipped kitchen.

The bathhouse is heated and cooled with a whirlpool, water heater, shower and hot and cold water shower.

Topsail Hill Preserve State Park has excellent campsites that visitors can visit, and there are 156 plots with full connections, including sewerage, electricity, cable and water. Watch birds, fish, birds of prey, reptiles, amphibians and other wildlife swim in the emerald waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

If you decide to go, you can walk or cycle a kilometre to the beach, or if you decide, a tram will take you to and from the beaches for 2 hours from 9 am.

The lake is home to many species of freshwater fish, including perch, pan fish and freshwater catfish. Enjoy fishing at one of the dune lakes along the coast or try your luck at an excellent fishing spot. The lake with its depth of 1.5 meters is ideal for saltwater fishing.

A licence is required for freshwater and saltwater fishing, but you can catch them at any time of the day or night, in open water or on the beach.

The campsites must behave in accordance with the rules of the State Park and not violate any applicable laws or regulations.

At the end of the tram street and on the waterfront there are ADA toilets. The park must comply with the rules and regulations, with an Internet connection located both on the veranda of the clubhouse and in the park office.

Discover the Morris Lake Nature Trail, which winds its way through ancient dunes and scrubland for 2.5 km, or enjoy a picnic. There is an outdoor shower for washing up, a hot tub and there are outdoor showers for washing up.

Enthusiasts can discover a diverse variety of plants and animals, and hikers can also enjoy miles of abandoned jeep trails through the park. Along the route you can admire a wide range of wildlife, including birds, birds of prey, reptiles and amphibians, as well as wildlife from all over the world.
Cyclists can enter the park via a newly built roundabout on the hill and enjoy an 800-metre asphalt road leading to the beach. Please note that the law requires all riders under 16 years of age to wear a properly seated bicycle helmet and seat.

Take Interstate 10 to Exit 85 at Defuniak Springs, turn right and travel approximately two miles west on scenic Highway 30A. Merge onto US Highway 98 for 27 miles and follow south. Turn right at the entrance to Topsail Hill Preserve State Park, located on the west side of the highway, about two miles from the entrance to the park.