Topsail Hill Preserve State Park — Loop 101

Topsail Hill is named for its dunes, which rise like a ship's sails over soft sand beaches and the emerald waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Those same white quartz dunes are responsible for a rare coastal ecosystem - freshwater dune lakes - which teem with aquatic wildlife. Walkers will pass through old-growth pine forests, sandy scrubland, dunes and wetlands, where they may see some of the 13 imperiled species that find refuge here, like the Choctawhatchee beach mouse and otherworldly-looking pitcher plants. Topsail Hill offers three miles of pristine beaches and is a birdwatching and hiking paradise.