Forget The Everglades — Visit Florida's Lesser-Known State Park With Gulf Coast Beauty And Fewer Crowds

The Florida Everglades are known worldwide as a natural wonder, filled with incredible scenery and an array of unique wildlife. As a result, over a million people flock to Everglades National Park each year. However, on the opposite end of the state, you can enjoy Gulf Coast beauty, along with crystal clear waters and immaculate beaches, with far fewer crowds at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park. Like the Everglades, this coastal preserve also contains some rare and unique wildlife and natural features. So, if you want to enjoy a pristine coastal environment without all the crowds, forget the Everglades and visit this lesser-known state park in the Florida Panhandle.

Topsail Hill Preserve State Park encompasses over 1,600 acres on Santa Rosa Beach, one of Florida's top Gulf Coast vacation destinations. However, the park, which is so named because its towering sand dunes are said to resemble topsails on sailing ships, only draws about a quarter of the visitors Everglades National Park does each year. Despite drawing smaller crowds, Topsail Hill provides visitors with plenty of opportunities to enjoy the beach, as well as hiking trails through some of the most unique coastal habitats in the world.

Topsail Hill Preserve State Park has over 3 miles of white sand beaches. In fact, these are the same white quartz sands found just up the coast at Henderson Beach State Park, which is considered one of America's best beaches. The Topsail Hill beach also has the clear-green waters for which the Florida Panhandle is famous. This combination makes swimming and fishing along the beach popular activities for visitors.

However, while the beach is breathtaking, the truly unique portion of Topsail Hill Preserve lies beyond the dunes. There, visitors will find a mix of longleaf pine tree forests, coastal wetlands, and rare freshwater dune lakes. South Walton County, which is where Topsail Hill Preserve is located, is one of only a handful of places on Earth where coastal dune lakes are found. There are over a dozen such lakes scattered throughout the county. Topsail Hill is home to a few large, named lakes, such as Campbell and Morris — both of which are great for fishing. Additionally, the park has two small, unnamed dune lakes.

Visitors can explore these lakes and adjacent woods via various sections of the 15 miles of hiking trails found in the park. Campbell Lake is also reachable by bike along the Campbell Lake Bike Trail. As visitors make their way along these trails, they are liable to see any number of birds and animals, including some of the 13 imperiled species that call the park home. In fact, Topsail Hill Preserve is actually part of the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail because of its tremendous biodiversity.

A trip to Topsail Hill Preserve State Park doesn't necessarily have to be a day trip, as the park accommodates overnight visitors with a robust campground. There are 156 RV campsites in the park with electric, water, and sewer hookups. There are also 22 tent campsites that offer electric and water hookups. Additionally, there are 32 cabins and bungalows available for rent. The one-bedroom bungalows sleep four people and have a kitchen, while cabins can sleep up to six and feature a screened porch in addition to a kitchen area. Yet another option is to book a glamping package in the state park with Topsail Outfitters.

For those who aren't looking to stay overnight, Topsail is an easy day trip from several areas in the Florida Panhandle. Destin, the coastal fishing city with miles of beaches, is just a little over 10 miles away. Ft. Walton Beach, which is where you'll find the closest commercial airport, is only about a 45-minute drive. Visitors will also find plenty of other popular attractions near Topsail if they want to extend their trip. Eden Gardens State Park, which features ponds, ancient oaks, and wildlife, is about 10 miles away. Crab Island, the beautiful sandbar island in Choctawhatchee Bay, is just outside of Destin. Both spots are a great complement to Topsail Hill Preserve State Park and an ideal way to spend a week out in the Florida wilderness.