Experiences
Birding
Topsail Hill Preserve State Park has more than 15 miles of trails for viewing a variety of birds both inland and along the shore. Visitors can see red shouldered hawks, Eastern bluebirds, red cardinals and ospreys as well as threatened snowy plovers and piping plovers.
- Topsail Hill Preserve is part of the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail.
Camping
The park's campground has 156 RV sites with water, 30- or 50-amp electric, sewer, laundry facilities and shuffleboard courts. Bathrooms with showers are heated and cooled. Big rigs are welcome.
- Pets are welcome at the RV sites. Check the Pet Policy for more details.
- Twenty-two tent sites include an elevated tent pad, a fire ring, and water and electric hookups.
- A restroom with showers is located in the tent camping area.
- The park also has 32 cabins/bungalows available for rent.
- Maximum RV length = 45 feet. Please note that not all RV sites are able to handle this length. Double-check the site length during the reservation process.
- For reservations, visit the Florida State Parks reservations website or call 800-326-3521 or TDD 888-433-0287.
- Campers can bike, walk or take a tram ride to the beach. There is a Wi-Fi hotspot outside the park store.
- Fancy Camps Luxury Camping (glamping) sites are available year-round.
Camping
Glamping
Fancy Camps is a luxury camping company based out of beautiful Santa Rosa Beach and working primarily with Topsail Hill Preserve State Park. Fancy Camps gives guests a taste of old-fashioned camping with a modern luxurious twist.
Since 2015, Fancy Camps has had a unique partnership with Florida State Parks to provided glamping services to guests and provide a middle ground for visitors who are not looking for the cabin experience but are not quite ready to rough it.
Fancy Camps gives these individuals the opportunity to experience Real Florida without leaving all of the comforts of home.
Fishing
Try your luck at our excellent fishing spots. Enjoy freshwater fishing at one of our coastal dune lakes, which 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.
- A fishing license may be required for fresh and saltwater fishing.
Geo-Seeking
Geocaching is an outdoor game using hand-held global positioning systems (GPS) devices. It's effectively an inexpensive, interactive, high-tech treasure hunt that's a great way to learn geography. Participants use location coordinates to find caches. Some caches are easy to find; others are more difficult. The biggest reward is the thrill of the search and the discovery of a place where you have never been. Geocaching should have minimal impact to the environment and conscientious land-use ethics should be followed. The park has a special 13-waypoint geocache program and you can pick up the coordinates at the ranger station.
Hiking
There are over 15 miles of marked hiking trails within the park.
- The Beach Tram trail and the Campbell Lake Bike trail are both paved, making them perfect for a beautiful bike ride among the longleaf pine trees.
- The No Name Lake trail leads to the smallest of the coastal dune lakes in the park.
- The Turpentine trail allows you to witness remnants of the turpentining industry from the late 1800s and early 1900s. On the Gopher Tortoise trail you will see saw palmettos and longleaf pine trees where the gopher tortoises roam.
- Along the Deer Track trail you will see Campbell Lake, a rare coastal dune lake, as well as carnivorous plants. The Old Growth trail reaches the far western portions of the park.
- Morris Lake trail meanders through ancient dunes and scrub communities. Along this trail you can see remnants of the JB-2 rocket development program during World War II.
To access all trails, enter the park at 7525 W. County Highway 30, Santa Rosa Beach. All trail heads start at the day use parking lot and split off as you walk farther into the park. Make sure to pick up a trail map at the ranger station.
Please be safe and take a cellphone, hat, sunscreen, bug spray and plenty of water with you so you can fully enjoy a beautiful walk through the park.
Wildlife Viewing
Topsail Hill Preserve State Park has excellent trails, beaches and lakes for viewing wildlife, including birds, reptiles and mammals.
- Topsail Hill Preserve is part of the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail.
Amenities
Accessible Amenities
Topsail Hill Preserve State Park is committed to providing a variety of amenities accessible to all visitors.
These amenities include:
- Trams to the beach.
- Elevated boardwalks to the beach.
- Beach wheelchairs are available for free. Inquire at the ranger station.
- Several campsites with concrete pad, picnic table and nearby restrooms.
- Bungalows and cabins.
- Clubhouse, available for rent. Please contact the campground store for rental details.
Service animals are welcome in all areas of Florida State Parks.
Beach
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 shuttles visitors to the beach from the day-use parking area. Visitors may also walk or ride their bikes down to the beach on the shared use trail.
Two all-terrain beach wheelchairs are available to provide access to beach areas. Please check at the ranger station for more information.
No alcohol, glass, fires or animals are allowed on the beach.
Visitors to coastal parks are reminded to pay close attention to the Warning Flag Signs posted at welcome stations and on the beaches. These flags indicate the swimming conditions at the beach:
- Double red flags mean absolutely no swimming because of high winds and undertow currents
- Red flag means high surf or strong currents
- Yellow flag means swim with caution and stay close to shore
- Green flag means that the waters are safe
- Purple flag means that marine pests are present.
Cabins
- There are 16 unique one-bedroom bungalows that accommodate up to four people. There is a queen-size bed in the bedroom for two people as well as a sleeper sofa in the living area for an additional two people. Each unique bungalow is fully furnished and equipped with all appliances and initial set of linens. Each bungalow has a carport, kitchen, bathroom, dining area and living room.
- There are 16 cabins accommodating up to six people with two bedrooms and two baths, kitchen and a living/dining area. One bedroom has a queen-size bed, one bedroom has two twin beds. There is a queen-size pull-out sofa in the living area. Cabin amenities include a screened porch, picnic table and grill. The initial set of linens is provided.
- Phones are not provided. A Wi-Fi hotspot is located around the campground store/café.
- For reservations, visit the Florida State Parks reservations website or call 800-326-3521 or TDD 888-433-0287.
- Pets are not permitted in cabins or bungalows.
- Cabin reservations require a two-night minimum stay.
Bungalow Rental (four people maximum)
- Aug. 1 to Jan. 31: $100 per night plus tax, plus a nonrefundable $6.70 reservation fee.
- Feb. 1 to July 31: $120 per night plus tax, plus a nonrefundable $6.70 reservation fee.
Cabin Rental (six people maximum)
- Aug. 1 to Jan. 31: $130 per night plus tax, plus a nonrefundable $6.70 reservation fee.
- Feb. 1 to July 31: $145 per night plus tax, plus a nonrefundable $6.70 reservation fee.
Canoe Kayak Launch
Located at Campbell Lake. Personal watercraft (canoes, kayaks and paddleboards as well as accessories - personal flotation devices, paddles, etc.) cannot be used in the park because of the possibility of introducing non-native plants into the dune lake.
Contact the campground store at 850-267-8333 for watercraft rentals.
Concession and Restaurant
Fancy Camps is the park’s concessionaire. They offer several services to add to your experience at the park:
Campground store
- The Fancy Camps campground store is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. The store has snacks, ice, firewood, T-shirts, ice cream and basic camping items. They also offer rentals for bicycles, beach carts, canoes, kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, beach chairs and umbrellas.
Kith & Kin Café
- The café is open 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily for park visitors as well as local visitors. Guests can enjoy a locally sourced cup of coffee, gourmet sandwiches and pastries, tea and smoothies. In the future, the café will host live music and offer wine and beer.
Glamping
- Fancy Camps offers luxury camping that gives guests a taste of old-fashioned camping with a modern luxurious twist. This camping experience gives individuals the opportunity to experience the Real Florida without leaving all the comforts of home. For more information and reservations, visit Fancy Camps online.
Pets
Pets must be well-behaved and on a six-foot leash at all times. Pets on a six-foot or smaller leash may enjoy any of the 15 miles of hiking trails within the park.
- Pets are not allowed in cabins/bungalows.
- Pets are also not allowed on the beach, tram or boardwalks or in buildings, the dunes or lakes/ponds.
Water Fountain
Staying hydrated on your outdoor adventures is important. Just bring a refillable water bottle to replenish your drinking water at the park. This will reduce single-use plastics in landfills and reduce the litter sometimes found along trails, at campsites, on beaches and in Florida’s waterways.
- At Topsail Hill Preserve State Park, you’ll find a refillable water bottle station at the beach restroom.
- Learn more.