Campground Review:
If you are ever in the Florida Panhandle, you have to stop at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park. I have been coming here for years as a visitor and the past four volunteering in the campground because I love it so much. The campground used to be a private RV park so there are lots of amenities with really nice campsites but once you leave the campground there are over 1,600 acres to explore and 3.2 miles of pristine white sandy beaches to walk on. The park is divided into three sections: the RV park, a 22-site tent-only section, and 32 one and two-bedroom bungalows and cabins for rent.
There are 156 RV sites that are level and a mix of paved and crushed gravel with full hook-up and cable television (75+ channels). Park roads are paved and easy to navigate in any size RV. There are plenty of tall trees for shade and bushes that provide privacy. There are no fire pits but you are allowed to have a fire if you bring your own pit. The fair majority of sites are back-in but there are a handful of pull-thru sites and all are level. The water sewer and electric hook-ups are all well-placed at the site and there is a light at the end of each driveway. There are 22 tent sites with an elevated gravel tent pad, fire ring, water spigot, and 110 electric hook-ups. Most of the tents are set under tall pine trees while a few are more in the open and are sunny. A concessionaire offers “glamping tents” with beds, lamps, carpet, chairs and outdoor furniture. There are also one and two-bedroom cabins that can be rented year-round.
Within the park is a free wifi hotspot, a non-heated swimming pool, beach access with tram service, club house, camp store, bike/kayak/canoe rental, laundry, amphitheater, shuffle board, and a host of park activities and ranger-led tours. The restroom and laundry facilities (which are only $1.50 per wash/dry) are clean and seemed adequate to handle the crowds. The campground is located ¾ mile from the beach which is accessible via a walking/biking trail or a tram operated by the park. During the winter months the tram runs every two hours, but during peak season it runs once an hour. Once you are on the beach you have miles and miles of unspoiled white sand and blue water to enjoy. There are also numerous ponds and coastal dune lakes scattered throughout the campground for the fishing enthusiasts. The coastal dune lakes are a globally rare ecosystem occurring in only a handful of places around the world and definitely worth exploring (which you can do with watercraft rental).
Nearby are thousands of acres managed by the state forestry department which have miles and miles of hiking trails. The park is located within a mile of a Walmart (with food), gas station, Subway and other restaurants. Within 5 miles are tons of shopping opportunities, movie theater, restaurants, grocery, etc.
What we really liked about this campground are the level, paved, full-hookup sites and the fact that it is in a state park so you have access to miles of hiking/biking and a gorgeous beach. The beach here is the most beautiful in Florida and can be completely empty in the winter. The not-so-good things about this park are the cost and how crowded it can be in the peak season. During peak season this park is very busy and you have to book very early. The cost is $42/night (unless you are a Florida senior resident and then it is half price) which is high for state parks . . . but compared to other private parks in the area that is reasonable.
Product Review:
As a Ranger for TheDyrt I occasionally get outdoor products to test and on this trip I was able to test a High Hopes Hammock. I was pretty excited to receive a hammock because I am one of the few people I know that does not own a hammock putting me a little behind the times. One cool feature of this company is that for every hammock purchased, they donate either a hammock, various survival supplies or money to organizations helping the homeless, impoverished countries or those affected by natural disasters.
High Hopes offers many different colors of hammocks many of which are bright and fun and the large selection made it hard for me to choose because I like so many of them. The hammock is lightweight at just 1 ½ pounds and tucks nicely into a pouch attached to the side of the hammock. The hammock fit perfectly into my small day pack so I took it with me on a long hike and set it up when I wanted a break. I chose the hammock and strap bundle which is $10 more than just a hammock but definitely worth it (bringing the total without tax to $59.99). The straps are 9 ½ feet long with 15 loop holes so you can make this fit in a lot of different locations where trees may be pretty far apart. The hammock is large at 9 ½ feet long and 6 ½ feet wide and easily fits two people or you and your furry friend. The capacity is a whopping 400 pounds so it is good that the tree straps and steel carabiners are heavy duty. The setup is super easy as you just wrap the straps around a tree or other supportive post and clip the carabiner into the loops on the strap. Then, in you go. Once inside you can use the attached Velcro to close the hammock so you feel like you are in a cocoon. This is also a nice feature if you want privacy. The Velcro closure may help keep some pesky insects out but not all as there are only three Velcro patches which leaves gaps.
Click here for my video review.
The downside of this company is their customer service. I was on a “live chat” with them and when I asked about a mix up with an order they went totally silent and I never got another response. I tried emails and those went unanswered. They offer various promotions online and discounts if you sign up for their email list. They were advertising free two-day shipping on orders over $50 which is great but keep in mind there is processing time which in my case was about five days.
In addition to hammocks they sell clothing, accessories and hats. There are a lot of hammocks of this type on the market but High Hopes sets themselves apart from the competition because of their involvement helping those less fortunate. Since I haven’t owned another hammock, I can’t attest to quality differences but this one seems to hold up well so far.
