Inspiring travel stories, tips, and guides from a couple exploring the world one destination at a time.
Santa Rosa Beach is where Topsail Hill Preserve State Park is located. It’s a favorite because it has an incredible beach, plenty of roads and trails to walk for hours, and is close to Destin and Grayton Beach. Even though Topsail is pricey and sites are more crowded for a state park, the sites and roads are paved and they offer full service, other than WIFI. It’s our second stay here, third in the area. We love the beaches and all the great amenities that Destin has to offer.
Pensacola Beach is near Gulf Islands National Seashore. We stayed at the National Park campground a few years ago. It is less crowded and touristy compared to Destin. However, Destin had all the amenities, other than a Costco, to keep us entertained. Our posts tend to run a month behind because of editing, travel, material, and lack of internet so the coronavirus pandemic had not yet impacted daily living.
Last Updated: February 18, 2017
Trailer Life and Woodall’s rank Topsail Hill Preserve State Park in the top 1% of campgrounds in the nation. That’s a bold claim for a Florida state park, but after a few days here it’s hard to argue. The park has over three miles of pristine white sandy beach fronting emerald Gulf water, coastal cypress domes, freshwater lakes, and wet prairies — and the camping infrastructure to match.
