Topsail Hill Preserve State Park, Santa Rosa Beach, Florida
Posted By Traveler8343 On October 27, 2011 @ 9:32 pm In Campgrounds & RV Parks,Destination Camping & RV Resorts,Nature & Wildlife,Outdoor Recreation & Hiking,RV Campgrounds,State & National Parks,Uncategorized | 1 Comment
Topsail Hill Preserve State Park’s Gregory E. Moore RV Resort [1] is located on the Florida Panhandle’s famous Emerald Coast. It’s in Santa Rosa,
[2] Florida on Route 30A South, 1 mile south of Route 98.
Topsail is a beautiful park with large, paved sites. The grounds are very nicely landscaped and well maintained. Quality wise, I think that it’s right up there with Disney’s Fort Wilderness Campground [3] in Orlando. Amenities include a laundry, a small store, super clean restrooms, an unheated swimming pool, shuffleboard court, playgrounds, amphitheater, and a shuttle tram that runs back and forth between the campsites and its own private Gulf beach. There are ranger-led activities for the children. Check with the front office or their website [4] for more information.
[5]
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The beach has over 3 1/2 miles of pure white sand lapped by beautiful pale green water. There are over 1,600 acres of unique habitats, including coastal dune lakes, cypress domes, and wet prairies. It is consistently rated as one of the nicest RV parks in America. Bicycle or take the tram between the beach and the campsites. You can walk it, but it’s hilly. They recently added rest benches in the woods along the roadside for the more athletic campers. Private vehicles are not allowed.
There are hiking trails that will take you along the tall sand dunes and the coastal dune lakes; something that is unique to this area.
Our favorite eating place is the Do Nut Hole Bakery and Cafe [8] located just outside the park on Route 98 West. It has a fresh bakery and great food. Further west are additional restaurants, shopping and amusements for the family. A few miles south on Route 30A is the Watercolor Inn and Resort [9]. What a great name for a very picturesque spot! Go there for an afternoon of shopping and dining.
BTW, We were there in May 2011 and found no damage to the beach caused by the oil spill. It’s still pristine and a great place to spend the day sunbathing (with the proper SPF suntan lotion and shade, of course). beachcombing and swimming. Be careful; I didn’t apply suntan lotion to my chest or stomach when I went to the beach one day because I was wearing a shirt and didn’t plan on swimming. Big mistake. I unbuttoned the shirt when it got a bit warm and got the worst sunburn I’ve had in decades. Be careful; the sun is very strong.
Till Next Time,
The Traveler
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Article printed from Good Sam Camping Blog: http://blog.goodsamcamping.com
URL to article: http://blog.goodsamcamping.com/2011/10/topsail-hill-preserve-state-park-santa-rosa-beach-florida/
URLs in this post:
[1] Topsail Hill Preserve State Park’s Gregory E. Moore RV Resort: http://www.reserveamerica.com/r/campgroundDetails.do?subTabIndex=0&contractCode=fl&parkCode=tops
[2] Image: http://blog.goodsamcamping.com/2011/10/topsail-hill-preserve-state-park-santa-rosa-beach-florida/33topsail-hill-preserve-state-park-2/
[3] Disney’s Fort Wilderness Campground: http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/resorts/campsites-at-fort-wilderness-resort/
[4] their website: http://www.floridastateparks.org/topsailhill/
[5] Image: http://blog.goodsamcamping.com/2011/10/topsail-hill-preserve-state-park-santa-rosa-beach-florida/img_1577-2/
[6] Image: http://blog.goodsamcamping.com/2011/10/topsail-hill-preserve-state-park-santa-rosa-beach-florida/topsail-hill-tram-2/
[7] Image: http://blog.goodsamcamping.com/2011/10/topsail-hill-preserve-state-park-santa-rosa-beach-florida/topsailhillstatepark-3/
[8] Do Nut Hole Bakery and Cafe: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g34182-d519262-Reviews-Donut_Hole-Destin_Florida.html
[9] Watercolor Inn and Resort: http://www.discover30a.com/discover/watercolor.asp?gclid=CKm2v-bAiqwCFQEq7AodoA4Htg
[10] Campers Choose Their Favorite Campgrounds For March: http://blog.goodsamcamping.com/2011/04/campers-choose-their-favorite-campgrounds-for-march/
[11] Campers Choose Their Favorite Campgrounds For February: http://blog.goodsamcamping.com/2011/03/campers-choose-their-favorite-campgrounds-for-february/
[12] Video: Camping at Crooked Creek Resort in Hill City, SD: http://blog.goodsamcamping.com/2010/06/video-camping-at-crooked-creek-resort-hill-city-sd/
[13] PECAN VALLEY RV PARK Junction Texas: http://blog.goodsamcamping.com/2010/06/pecan-valley-rv-park-junction-texas/
[14] Miles of Trails in Flagler County, FL: http://blog.goodsamcamping.com/2012/04/miles-of-trails-in-flagler-county-fl/
[15] Contextual Related Posts: http://ajaydsouza.com/wordpress/plugins/contextual-related-posts/
[16] Henry Horton S.P., Tennessee: http://blog.goodsamcamping.com/2012/11/henry-horton-s-p-tennessee/
[17] Mau-Mau, A Most Peculiar Cat: http://blog.goodsamcamping.com/2012/11/mau-mau-a-most-peculiar-cat/
[18] Put Tab A Into Slot B...: http://blog.goodsamcamping.com/2012/07/put-tab-a-into-slot-b/
[19] Part 3 - Big Trees State Park, Calaveras County, California - Exploitation of the Sequoias: http://blog.goodsamcamping.com/2012/06/part-3-big-trees-state-park-calaveras-county-california-exploitation-of-the-sequoias/
[20] Part 2 - Big Trees State Park, Calveras County, California: http://blog.goodsamcamping.com/2012/06/part-2-big-trees-state-park-calveras-county-california/
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