February is a fantastic month to visit Topsail Hill Preserve State Park. Hopefully, you have registered to be a part of the Love Tracks 5k on February 16, 2019. It is a Fun Run and Walk for people to enjoy the beauty of the park and support it the same time. You can sign up for the Fun Run on the Friends of Topsail Hill Preserve State Park’s website www.topsailparkfriends.org. If you would like something more educational then maybe the Topsail Talks “Coastal Dune Lakes” presentation on February 15, 2019 or the “Turpentining in Topsail” event on February 17, 2019 or the Moonlight Paddle on February 18, 2019 is more your speed. Have you signed up to receive the park’s monthly newsletter about programs and events? If you haven’t, visit the “About Us” section of www.topsailparkfriends.org.
Even though it is winter, while walking along any of the fifteen miles of hiking trails in the park, you are still going to see lots of green thanks to the Saw Palmettos and Long Leaf Pine trees. You will also see splashes of red thanks to the berries of the Yaupon Holly tree. Remember, the park is still in the middle of its Prescribed Fire resource management season that can cause the trails to be temporarily closed. Please call ahead to make sure the trail you want to hike is open. Speaking of enjoying the trails, did you know your dog can enjoy the trail with you as long as he or she is on a 6ft or smaller handheld leash? Plan accordingly though as your pet can not join you on the tram, boardwalk or the beach.
Another thing you can do at the park is recycle. Thanks to a partnership with Walton County, you can bring in your aluminum, plastic and cardboard to be recycled. Let the Ranger Station know you are here to drop off recycling and you’ll be able to quickly loop thru the day use parking lot to easily put your items in the recycling containers. Do you have Hazardous Waste items like old paint and chemicals that you need to get rid of? How about old tires? Want to make sure they don’t end up in a landfill? Walton County residents will be able to participate in the Haz Mat Recycling and Waste Tire Amnesty day at the park on March 2, 2019. Save the date and prepare. All of us can do our part to help the planet by reducing our waste that cuts down on the amount of trash in the landfills and by recycling. The park has over 220,000 visitors a year that come to enjoy its 1643 acres, five rare coastal dune lakes and 3.2 miles of beautiful undeveloped beach. It takes a lot of volunteers to help park visitors have a pleasant experience while at the park. A pleasant experience inspires people to be stewards of the environment and that is why we need you! Whether you help with Dirty Friday or a maintenance project or at the Ranger Station, you being a volunteer can encourage people to protect the beauty that is Topsail Hill Preserve State Park. See you soon!
Author: SWal Life
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