Anastasia vs Topsail Hill state parks FL

[KyDan]

We're daydreaming about a week in Northern FL in January.

A friend recommended Topsail Hill Preserve state park FL.
A quick look via reserve america shows this RV campground
nearly empty for a week in late January.
WHY????
It's got full hookups and is $42 night.

Just out of curiosity I checked Anastasia SP in St. Augustine
for the same week and they are totally full.

Weather channel shows average temps only about 5 deg
warmer for St. Augustine. (mid 60s vs low 60s)

Why is one park virtually empty and the other absolutely
full???
What am I missing here?

[08flagvlite]

WELL..... We live relatively nearby the area, and we've been to Anastasia two or three times. It is a very nice park, near the St. Augustine attractions, on the beach, large shady sites, very nice recently remodeled bathrooms. Never been to Topsail, so I really can't say anything about it, pro or con. However, one thing I can say about Florida's state parks, and I've been to many that have camping, is that almost ALL have dump stations, NOT sewer hookups, EXCEPT for Suwannee River state park, off of I-10 past Lake City,near I-75(20 miles west from here.) We love to camp at state parks, and NORTH Florida has very few parks on the beach with camping, which probably explains why Anastasia is full. Good luck, and any more Fla. questions, just ask! Randy

[KyDan]

Here's a copy/paste from Topsail Hill preserve SP.

"Camping, Full Facility
The Gregory E Moore RV Resort has 156 sites with water, 30 or 50 amp electric, cable, sewer, (non-heated) swimming pool, laundry facilities and shuffleboard courts. Bathrooms with showers are heated and cooled. Big rigs welcome."

It must be something else.
Maybe nothing.
Maybe just too far north.
I know the weather in FL has been crummy lately.
We'll see if anyone chimes in who has been to this park.
My feeling is they are so empty I'm not going to worry about
reserving anything.
We'll wait until the midweek before our hoped for visit and check
out the long range forecast.
If it's decent, we'll bug out.
If it's more of the below freezing nights with cloudy days
you've been having we'll pass.
(We haven't seen the sun in a week ourselves).

[bend302]

KYDAN, we have a 10 day reservation at Topsail in early Jan. We have rented condo's in Destin for the last 3 yrs and last year was awful. We are going to give it a shot and if it is like last year, we are going South.

I will post a thread in Jan and let y'all know how it is...

Bill

[KyDan]

Originally Posted by bend302

I will post a thread in Jan and let y'all know how it is...

Great Bill,
We'd love any guidance you can give like--
The west loop is more private or the north end is next to
the road etc.... anything like that would be appreciated.
We "HOPE" to go but weather seems rough nearly world
wide this winter.
Look at all the snow in England!!

I want to get away for a week but really need a one
day drive and northern FL or gulf shore area is about
as far as we can go in one day.
(600+ miles)

Some years this is a great plan and some years it's not

[DAISY BOYKIN]

Topsail hill state park is located in the "PANHANDLE" or western part of Florida in SANTA ROSA. Florida. During the winter months the "panhandle" of Florida is cold and virtually a non tourist area. Where Anastasia park is near St Augustine, Daytona, days driving to Disney, Space Coast area. If you are planning your trip to Florida in the winter, The Panhandle is not for you. I know, because I live in Jacksonville, FL.

Right now 8:00 AM 12/19/2010 there is a difference of 10 degrees between the two places, St Augustine being the warmer. That means a lot for outdoor activity!! There is nothing to do in the TOPSAIL HILL area, culturally or for entertainment. Summertime, now that is a different story especially if you are a beach person. It has the most beautiful beaches you can find anywhere. The whitest sand and the most emerald green
waters of anywhere.

Look up Hanna Park in Jacksonville, FL. It is on the ocean in the north east corner of the state.
I had to reread your question about you needing a days drive from KY.

Hope this helps

[kbrown1075]

Topsail is our weeks vacation destination each year. Topsail has full hookups. Every site has sewer hook ups. I can't say enough about the park and staff! We spent Thanksgiving week there (Tues to Tues). The Monday after Thanksgiving, it was dead. There really isn't much to do in the area in the wintertime. It is to cold to go in the water (I say that now but growing up in New England I would have spent the whole day in that water temp, but not now). Walks on the beach were great though. When we go to Topsail in the summer, it is always to hot to go hiking on the trails. We did a great deal of hiking while there at TG (even found access to the very West End of the beach, beautiful!!). I can not speak for Anastasia as we have never been there, but if it's a FL State Park, I'm sure it's nice!

Enjoy whichever place you decide.

[KyDan]

Thanks for the insight.
I was really puzzled why one park in northern Florida would
be jammed full while another was virtually empty.
I guess the gulf stream warms the east coast better than the
gulf coast.

We spent a good week in Gulf Shores AL in January 2009.
It was 32 deg on two mornings but days warmed nicely and we hiked
and walked many times in shirt sleeves or just wind breakers.
I guess we were lucky. Gulf shores is a walkers paradise!!
There were paved bike/walking trails everywhere.
Restaurants and souvenir shops were open. Many "welcome snow
bird" signs.

Are you saying Topsail area is not like that?

I know it all depends on the weather.
It can be real decent or it can be nearly as wintry as
we have at home in Kentucky.

Like I said, we got lucky and had a good week in Gulf Shores
(almost) 2 years ago. That experience made us want to go back
to the gulf again.

South Florida and or South Texas and other winter destinations
in that direction will have to wait
until my lovely wife retires and we can take more
than a week during the school year.

[bend302]

Topsail is on route 30A just past the turn-off from US98.

30A is very walking and biking friendly (bike rental is available) all the way through Watercolor to Seaside. If you ask, you can find hiking trails that are easy and picturesque. The entire area welcomes Snowbirds since the winter is off season and this season was awful due to the oil scare. They will be thrilled to see the Snowbirds arrive this year. There are great restaurants in Destin and Sandestin. If you are into breakfast, try "Another Broken Egg" in Sandestin (North Side). There are also some restaurants along 30A but we haven't eaten along there much because we usually stay in Destin.

When the weather is cold, there is little to do. But, it usually warms up each day. Although last year was really cold. If you golf, there are usually discounted greens fees available at some of the nicest courses and, if you stay long enough, join one of the Snowbirds Clubs and you can get lots of golf discounts.

Bill

[08flagvlite]

X2 on Hanna Park in Jacksonville. Next to Mayport Navy base, Hanna has like 300 full hookup sites, and lots of bike trails, and hiking trails, too. Around 45.00 a night, and they have some 50 amp sites, if needed. Another very nice State Park is O-Leno S.P. in high springs area. Lots to do, as state parks go, close to Ichetuknee springs S.P. where you can ride innertubes down a 5 mile spring run-(summer activity, for sure!) No sewer hookups, though. We camp from Jax south, and haven't meandered up to the Panhandle area camping, as of yet. Gulf stream incidentally is about 70 miles offshore from St.Auggie, and even farther from Jax! The farther south that you go on the Atlantic coastline side, the closer it gets, and that is why the water is so beautifully clear in the keys, which it's only 5 miles offshore there. Randy

[KyDan]

Thanks Randy!

Man you really make me want to be there!!
Can't do it until my wife retires or they eliminate her job due to
funding cuts

But we still want to get out of the neighborhood in late
January IF THE WEATHER looks ok.
so....
Thanks Bill for the input on the Topsail area during the off
season.
We want to come. (Depending on a good 7-10 day forecast at that time.)

Google maps routes me from Louisville down
I65 to Montgomery then over to
US331
should I stay on US331 all the way to the bay/gulf???
Have you done this?
Can I make good time on 331 or does it have a lot of
lower speed limits and little towns with stops?
Are parts of US 331 4 lane or will I get stuck behind
slow pokes and not be able to pass??

If we do this we'll be high-balling the entire trip in one
day.
Looks like around 630 miles give or take.
Can't stand too much slow going and still get there in
one day.
Anyone been down this corridor?

[bend302]

Don't let me oversell you on the panhandle. We have been going there for several years because Brother-in-law winters over at the Military campground there so wife gets to see bro and go to Fla. We like it when the weather is nice. We do plan to go further South this Winter because chances are, the panhandle will still be cool.

(US331) The first time I went down, the GPS routed me down US331. It was pretty low rent and desolate. We were planning on overnite stay along there but when we lost cell signal, wife found a way to hi-tail it back to I65.

This year will be our first trip in a motorhome (anywhere!) and we will not have de-winterized so, I have a motel reservation in Greenville AL. We will leave I65 at exit 114 and take route 55 across . It was a pleasant drive in a car but don't know how it will be in the big beast...

Bill

[bend302]

Been at Topsail Reserve in Santa Rosa for 5 days now. State Park is great. All sites are fairly private. Good facilities and great landscaping.

Weather has been "iffy" with rain and cold nights. Some sun on most days. Rain on the 1st and again tomorrow. Not beach weather yet but hoping it will warm up soon.

Bend302

[KyDan]

Thanks for the report!

What route did you take to get there??
How did you like the route??

We are hoping to get a decent long range weather
forecast and maybe grab the last week of Feb
and come down.
Any suggestions for which loop or site #s you think are
best also appreciated.

We'll be in touch!!

[bend302]

KYDan

First, I would think the sites numbered 101+ would be more private since they are sort of on a one way in layout while the other sites are easier for folks to drive thru on their way somewhere else.

NOW, you won't like my route if you are in a hurry. Remember, this is our first RV of ANY type and I refused to test drive it because I was sure it would scare me to death. So, I picked it up in Clarksville, IN and drove South thru Lou rush hour. I decided to take my time to get to FL and because we were leaving late in the day due to Xmas with the G'kids in Lou, we just wanted to get thru Nashville the first day and stopped in Athens, AL.

Then, because of the COLD weather in KY, we were still winterized so we stayed on I65 and spent the night in a motel in Greenville (Hot Showers!), AL.

We exited I65 at Exit 96 (Evergreen, AL) and followed US84 to US331 South. Not a bad route but I suspect not as direct as you would want. As I said in a previous post, we have travelled to Destin many times but never down 331 from Montgomery, AL.

Now, my favorite 4-wheeler route is to exit at exit 114 and come down 55 to 85 and across the Mid-Bay (toll) bridge into Destin. But 331 puts you 5 miles East of 30A and is not toll.

Destin to Louisville by this route is a hard 10 1/2 hours by 4 wheeler.

Good luck,

Bend302

[Smokyroo]

Kydan, I suspect you are not there any longer? We have camped at Ft. Clinch on Amelia Island, Hanna Park in Jax beach, Anastasia and Favor Dykes too. All these parks are wooded with wind swept live oaks making coastal camping enjoyable even when its June or even July.

How is was Topsail? What I mean does it feel like you were outside in the woods? Are the sights wooded and shady? Is this a new state park? Thanks.

[KyDan]

Hey Bob, we have not been there yet.

Bend302 posted a photo down in the middle of this thread.
You can click the photo and get a slightly larger version.
It looks very nice to me!

We hope to go there for a week last of Feb first of March.
This is pending a good forecast for that week once it
gets closer.

I haven't checked reservations lately. I'm hoping the place
will not be full and I can wait till the last minute to see
what the weather is doing B 4 we make the long drive.

Back in the middle of December the reservations looked
nearly empty. That fact left me wondering why?
What was wrong with the park?
Apparently folks have been going further south to try to find better weather.

Just checked online reservations. It's filling up but there
are still several open sites.
I'm always torn with reservations this time of year---
Make a reservation and get a "good" site or wait to see
what the weather is and take my chances on a spot.....

[Smokyroo]

I have to say climate wise there is not much difference between the two. I have not been Top Sail, I can not give a good opinion there. Anastasia on the other hand is very nice. The sites are wooded, they are spaced a decent amount apart with native under growth. It is very pretty there regardless of its proximity to St. Augustine. I wanted to go there in April for the first week and nothing was available for the entire week.

Faver Dykes like I said is diamond in the rough as far as state parks go. You may want to check it out. Now my persepective is one of the preference for national parks versus full service travel trailer RV park resorts. So, Faver is out of the way, quiet wooded tucked next to a saltwater creek and I have camped there several times.

[bend302]

We have moved down to Pine Island near Ft. Myers and it is still in the 40's at night. But the days are nice. We are going South and will visit the Keys for a night, then start back North....I hate to say that word!

Now, remember, we are neophytes at this RV stuff but, Topsail is the nicest campground we have been in so far.

We liked Topsail so well we are going back for the last 2 wks in Feb. Have a site reserved (#85) right next to where we stayed in Jan. Hope the weather warms up. If one of you are there, stop by and say Hi!



Bend302

[KyDan]

Originally Posted by bend302

We liked Topsail so well we are going back for the last 2 wks in Feb.
Bend302

That's GREAT news! I'm thinking we'll miss you by
"that" much but we'll see. I'll PM you and we can trade
cell phone numbers. I'd love to meet another FRF member!