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perryg114 · 07-16-2013, 06:14 AM

I know that this is a favorite spot for Airstreamers. I was wondering how you get to the beach from the camping area? It looks a bit too far to walk. Do they have a shuttle service and is it free? I am thinking about camping there for a week while I am at a conference. The wife and kiddy won't have a car so I am wondering how they will get to the beach.

The following week we have reservations at St Joe state park which is right down the road. It seems silly to drive several hundred miles then turn around and drive right back where I came from. We would get an extra week of vacation to boot or at least the wife and daughter would.

Perry

F450Harley · 07-16-2013, 06:18 AM

They have shuttle and it was free when we were there this past January 2013. Have fun.

kevinb · 07-16-2013, 06:34 AM

Never camped in either park but I have been to both. While topsail is a beautiful place (yes long walk to the beach), I would drive the extra distance to St. Joe...totally breathtaking.

perryg114 · 07-16-2013, 06:40 AM

Well the conference is in Destin so we need to be close to there. We really like St Joe and will be staying there the following week. I agree nothing beats St Joe.

Perry

**jcanavera** · 07-16-2013, 07:27 AM

What some people don't know is that Topsail was a privately owned park that used to go by the name Emerald Coast. We stayed there a couple of times prior to it becoming a state park. That private ownership pretty much gave it its initial beauty.

I forgot why the original owner sold it. I know he relocated further east to Panama City and built another park also named Emerald Coast. The rumor is that the state took his campground via eminent domain. Does anyone know the story?

Jack

adonh · 07-16-2013, 07:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by perryg114

I know that this is a favorite spot for Airstreamers. I was wondering how you get to the beach from the camping area? It looks a bit too far to walk. Do they have a shuttle service and is it free? I am thinking about camping there for a week while I am at a conference. The wife and kiddy won't have a car so I am wondering how they will get to the beach.

The following week we have reservations at St Joe state park which is right down the road. It seems silly to drive several hundred miles then turn around and drive right back where I came from. We would get an extra week of vacation to boot or at least the wife and daughter would.

Perry

Good luck getting reservations at Top Sail, they fill up way in advance.

perryg114 · 07-16-2013, 07:52 AM

Well I got the last camp sight at Topsail Hill. I think it was sight 134. This is for October.

Perry

Someday'59 · 07-16-2013, 08:11 AM

Perry,
It is a little ways to the beach. We took our bikes. It was quite manageable on bike. As F450Harley mentioned, there's also a free shuttle.

Luckyducks · 07-16-2013, 08:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by perryg114

I know that this is a favorite spot for Airstreamers. I was wondering how you get to the beach from the camping area? It looks a bit too far to walk. Do they have a shuttle service and is it free? I am thinking about camping there for a week while I am at a conference. The wife and kiddy won't have a car so I am wondering how they will get to the beach.

The following week we have reservations at St Joe state park which is right down the road. It seems silly to drive several hundred miles then turn around and drive right back where I came from. We would get an extra week of vacation to boot or at least the wife and daughter would.

Perry

Hi Perry,

I've camped at Topsail Hill many times. Yes, as others have verified, there is a free tram that takes you from the campground to the beach. I don't know the exact distance to the beach - maybe a mile or so. The path is all paved and is a short bike ride from the campground to the beach.

Someone asked about the history of Topsail. The state of Florida bought a huge parcel of land in 1992 called the Topsail Preserve (to preserve beachfront property forever for the public) surrounding this campground. This RV park was privately owned and the state eventually bought it from the private owner.

People really like Topsail. The sites have level concrete driveways with a lot of natural landscaping. Check out the picture of your campsite on the Reserve America website. We have the Canopener Rally there each January and with 60-70 trailers each year, I think that attests to the niceness of the park (and we're a fun rally too!).

Russ

**jcanavera** · 07-16-2013, 08:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Luckyducks

Hi Perry,

Someone asked about the history of Topsail. The state of Florida bought a huge parcel of land in 1992 called the Topsail Preserve (to preserve beachfront property forever for the public) surrounding this campground. This RV park was privately owned and the state eventually bought it from the private owner.

Russ

Thanks for the update Russ. I was there back in May of 1998 or 99 when it was still privately owned. From the talk at the office the owner didn't want to sell and the state was taking it by eminent domain. They probably did pay him well for it. It would make sense that they probably wrangled several years which would account for the time from the purchase of the Preserve and the eventual take over of the park.

Jack

HowieE · 07-16-2013, 08:50 AM

Top Sail was taken by the State to protect the Beach Mouse, an endangered species and 2 of 7 world wide fresh water lakes that are close to the ocean.

Your tax dollars at work.

Every time I got there I give more thanks to the mouse than when I go to Disney World

**jcanavera** · 07-16-2013, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HowieE

Top Sail was taken by the State to protect the Beach Mouse, an endangered species and 2 of 7 world wide fresh water lakes that are close to the ocean.

Your tax dollars at work.

Every time I got there I give more thanks to the mouse than when I go to Disney World

I guarantee you finding an entire state park with full hookups is a rarity. Thank you beach mouse!

Jack

Luckyducks · 07-16-2013, 09:03 AM

Perry, click on this link to see photos of every campsite at Topsail. It's nice to see your site in advance. Site 134 looks good! And although it's Topsail Hill State Park, the old name is still used (Gregory E Moore RV Resort) for the campground.

Gregory E Moore RV Resort Campground - Photos, Information, and Reviews

Russ

perryg114 · 07-16-2013, 09:23 AM

Reserve America has photos on their reservation page as well. They all look about the same. We can scope out sights for the next visit when we get there.

Perry

Alumitater · 07-16-2013, 10:19 AM

Perry: Just to second my good friend Russ, Topsail is first class all the way. We have stayed there several times during Canopener and on our own. We usually reserve 135, so kinda partial to that area. Nice sites all around you. We usually walk to the beach, it is probably a mile but you are on a smooth paved path. Tram is great if you are carrying a bunch of beach stuff. Bikes would be a plus. You will enjoy your stay.

pmclemore · 07-16-2013, 01:15 PM

Since your conference is in Destin, how about Henderson Beach SP? Or is it thoroughly booked.

Pat

perryg114 · 07-16-2013, 01:20 PM

Henderson is full.

Perry

AirEgger · 07-16-2013, 03:11 PM

Topsail is a great place. We've stayed there a number of times, unusally in the winter, but have been there twice during the summer, the last being June of this year. In the summer the tram runs on the hour with the last run from the beach a few minutes after dark. Not sure what time the first run is in the morning. The summer tram will hold some 50-60 people (has two units behind the truck). In the winter, the run frequency is less, and only has one trailer, best I remember. If there in the summer, consider a visit to the beach after dark, lots of crabs, etc to see.

AWCHIEF · 07-16-2013, 03:21 PM

There is a short cut from the 103 loop that leads to the beach. Very nice walk or bike ride thru the woods.

Air Cruiser · 07-16-2013, 07:22 PM

We love Top Sail too! Our first time was a couple of years ago in May.

I am going to pass along some information which you can do with as you please:

First, when we were there, one of the Rangers warned us not to pick "sticks" while outside, they could very easily be pigmy rattlers as they do have them there. He also said that often the first bite from the pigmy rattler is a "warning" bite and does not contain poison, but the next bite would have it. He also said that sometimes the first does contain poison. In addition, he said to be watchful when going outside first thing in the morning as the snakes like to lay around the asphalt pads at night/early morning because they retain warmth from the sun the previous day.

Secondly, one time we were going/coming back from the beach; we walked to the beach and had a great time. On our way back we were a little tired and decided to ride the tram. The ride started out fine, then all of a sudden the driver sped up and then abruptly stopped and was looking to the right. We looked, along with most others on the tram, and spotted a medium sized Bobcat running -- it had run across the path of the tram just a little ahead of us! We talked with the driver afterward and he said that the park has one person who traps them when they wander over to the park from the nature preserve, or whatever he called the other area. A ranger later told us that the Bobcats sometimes climb the trees and await prey and jump down on it.

I am only mentioning this as we would have liked to have known these two things when we were there so we could be aware and be watchful. Knowing about these does not stop us from going; we are going down this Fall too.

Deb