The crown jewel that started as a diamond in the rough

With the natural beauty of Topsail Hill Preserve State Park, it's easy to understand why it is celebrated as one of the state's most favored recreation areas.

Topsail is the most intact coastal ecosystem in Florida. It features wet prairies, scrub, pine flatwoods, marshes and cypress domes. It has more than three miles of pristine beaches and five dune lakes which encompass more than 170 acres. In total, the park is 1,637 acres.
 
Now known as the "Crown jewel of the Panhandle," its history reads like a Carl Hiassen novel; with savings and loan disasters, shady transactions, foreclosures and local government opposition.
 
However, over the years, with support from conservation organizations such as The Nature Conservancy, an energetic group of advocates from 4-Mile Village, and local conservancy group Beach To Bay Connection, the park has crystallized, and now boasts a diverse venue of activities in addition to over three miles of pristine beaches.

Since 1992, the park has gone though an extensive growth process, both in size and facilities. Trails were added around Morris Lake and to the beach.
 
The RV park hosts 156 sites and 16 rental cabins, and continues to be one of the most popular in the state. Booking is often solid for 11 months ahead.  "We're booked through May (2009) right now," said Mebane Cory-Ogden, assistant park manager.

A tram shuttle to the beach is offered to visitors from the day-use parking area. Visitors can also hike or bike on the shared use trail.
 
Park service specialists host interpretive programs that feature subjects such as sea turtles, beach mice, snakes and spiders.
 
"Children like the stories about sea turtles," said Leda Suydan, park service specialist. The park has a small amphitheater that hosts many of the programs. The amphitheater was built with the help of a citizen's support group "The Friends of Topsail."
 
Just completed is a butterfly garden planted by local volunteers and Beach to Bay Connection. The garden is dedicated to Richard and Marian Ludlam, local residents instrumental in getting the park established. The dedication for the garden will be at 4 p.m. on July 16.

Currently under construction is a new ranger station being built at the entrance to the day use portion of the park, along with a new entrance road. The new ranger station will house the "public" part of the park. 

In addition, 22 new tent sites, some ADA compliant, are being added to the south end of the park, along with 16 new cabins. This will give the park a total of 32 cabins.

Eventually the bike path will be extended to Campbell Lake. Campbell Lake will also receive restroom facilities, pavilions and eventually canoe and kayak rentals. "We want to open that part of the park people aren't usually aware of," said Cory-Ogden. "And that's our coastal dune lake system."

The timeline for completion on the park additions is January or February 2009, barring any delays.

Imprints from the past
Evidence from midden mounds (discarded debris from Native American communities) and a large mound adjacent to the park, indicate that Native Americans used the area for fishing, hunting and camping.
 
From the late 1800s to the mid-1900s, workers from the Quarters Turpentine Village turpentined old-growth longleaf pines in forests now part of Topsail Hill. Scars can still be seen on many living trees in the park.

During World War II, the western portion of the preserve was used as a munitions testing range for developing the first missiles in the United States. Iron and rebar tracks were laid down to allow trucks to travel across the soft sand. Visitors can still see these tracks, especially along the hiking trail south of Morris Lake.

Call (850) 267-0299 for more details.