Since Sept. 16, 2026, the main beach access boardwalk at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park has been temporarily closed for construction. The park directs visitors to a designated beach access path next to the tram station.
Nine days earlier, the county-paid summer admission ended. Put those two changes together and the winter version of Topsail Hill looks different from the summer one. For someone living in Dune Allen, the park now works best on foot or by bike, and the posted fees support that.
Two changes in September
The first change was the money. In May, the Walton County Board of County Commissioners approved an agreement that had Walton County Tourism cover day-use admission at Topsail Hill and Grayton Beach State Park from May 22 through Sept. 7, 2026. According to the county's agenda item, the goal was to free up parking for beachgoers during peak season and raise awareness of South Walton's eco-tourism. This was the program's 12th year at Topsail Hill. That coverage is over until next season, and the regular gate fees apply again.
The second change was the route. According to the Florida State Parks page for Topsail Hill, the main beach boardwalk has been closed for construction since Sept. 16, and beach traffic now uses the path next to the tram station. The same page still carries an older notice, effective Jan. 27, 2025, about construction of a new Nature Walk and Visitor Center. Under that notice, the tram stop and temporary restrooms were moved to the left of the construction fence.
In practice, that puts your starting point for the beach at the tram station, next to the construction fence.
What the gate charges, by how you arrive
The admission entrance is at Highway 98 and Highway 30A, and the park is open from 8 a.m. until sundown, 365 days a year. Here is the current schedule from the park's hours and fees page:
| How you arrive | Day-use admission |
|---|---|
| Vehicle with two to eight people | $6 per vehicle |
| Each person beyond eight in one vehicle | $2 more per person |
| Single-occupant vehicle or motorcycle | $4 |
| On foot or by bicycle | $2 per person |
A couple biking in pays $4 together. Driving in costs them $6, and a solo driver pays twice what a solo cyclist pays. These are small amounts, but they matter more if you go a few times a week. The gap is wider when you factor in what the car actually gets you.
The car only gets you to the parking lot
The park's official handheld map is direct about it. Beach access is "by hike, bike and tram only," 0.8 miles from parking. The route is the paved Beach Tram Path, listed at 0.8 miles. The park also lists a shared-use trail as an alternative to the tram for reaching the beach.
So everyone, whether they come by car, bike or foot, covers the same 0.8 miles between day-use parking and the Gulf. Drivers pay more for the parking space. Cyclists who already have their bikes can ride the paved path. If you're coming from a house a short ride east on 30A, the bike gets you to the sand without a stop in the parking lot.
The map also lists the Campbell Lake Bike Path at 1.1 miles. Campbell Lake is the coastal dune lake the park describes as "surrounded by ancient coastal dunes and maritime forest." Pair it with the tram path and you have a ride past a dune lake and onto the beach in one outing.
Where the extra miles are
The closed boardwalk only affects the route to the beach. The rest of the preserve's trail network has no posted closure, and the park describes more than 10 miles of trails through dunes, secluded forest and coastal lakes. Here are the distances from the official map:
- Morris Lake: 1.6 miles, the longest named hiking trail
- Campbell Lake Bike Path: 1.1 miles, multiuse
- Gopher Tortoise: 1.0 mile
- Turpentine: 1.0 mile
- Old Growth: 1.0 mile
- Deer Track: 0.75 miles
- Clubhouse Path: 0.75 miles
- Campbell Lake Overlook: 0.3 miles
- No Name Lake: 0.15 miles
The handheld map also marks a coffee shop and store inside the park.
The trails show the kind of ground that makes this preserve unusual on 30A. The park describes old-growth pine forest, sandy scrubland, dunes and wetlands, and lists 13 imperiled species that find refuge there, among them the Choctawhatchee beach mouse and pitcher plants. The preserve covers 1,600 acres. At the end of the tram path are 3 miles of beach and the park's namesake dune, which rises 25 feet above sea level.
The visitor center project
The construction notice that moved the tram stop refers to a new visitor and nature center. In December 2024, Get The Coast reported that a $4.2 million visitor and nature center had broken ground. The outlet described a building for up to 100 people, with exhibits on the park's dune lakes and the Choctawhatchee beach mouse, plus space for events, workshops and volunteering. Get The Coast listed the funding sources as the Florida Park Service, Walton County, the J.W. Couch Foundation, Florida Power & Light, the St. Joe Community Foundation and individual donors.
Local money is a large part of it. In a Dec. 13, 2025 letter on the Friends of Topsail Hill Preserve State Park website, board president Samantha McInnis wrote that the group had allocated $80,000 to the New Visitor & Interpretive Nature Center and was making "significant progress toward our $4.15 million fundraising goal." According to the park's own page, the Nature Walk and Visitor Center construction notice is still posted.
The same Friends group has put on the park's December event in past years.
Two December nights at the Visitor's Center
Camp Christmas is on the state park calendar for Friday, Dec. 11 and Saturday, Dec. 12, 2026, from 5 to 8 p.m. Central. The event listing puts it at the park's Visitor's Center, 7525 W. County Highway 30A, with a suggested donation of $5 per person. The program lists crafts, music, food, and "Topsy's Express to the North Pole to see Santa." The listing names a Florida DEP contact, [email protected], for questions.
The Friends group has been behind it in the past. In the same December 2025 letter, McInnis named Santa's Camp Christmas among the board's "signature fundraising events," alongside Tapas & Tunes, which she wrote raised more than $26,000. She also listed the board's support for Coffee with a Ranger.
For questions about Camp Christmas or any other visit, the park's ranger station number is 850-267-8330.
At the west end of 30A, owning a home means knowing how the places you use every day actually work, down to which path leads to the sand this month. When you're ready to talk about a Dune Allen home that puts Topsail Hill within an easy walk or ride, The Kendall Hood Collection can help. Schedule Your Concierge Consultation.
