November rolls in to the park with a shift in temperature and a wonderful opportunity to “Honor Veterans.”

During WWII, the German’s used the V-1 rocket in their defensive campaigns. In hopes to counteract this highly evolved weapon, the United States military based out of Eglin Air Field, reverse engineered this rocket, developed and created the JB-2 rocket. The testing for the JB-2 rocket development program was conducted over the dunes in Topsail Hill Preserve State Park and in neighboring Coffeen Nature Preserve. If you wish to take a walk through history, you can hike the park’s Morris Lake Trail. Along the trail you will see small remnants of the training program and the Marston mat that was laid over the dunes so jeeps could handle driving in the sugar white sand. It is this connection to WWII as well as the Florida Panhandle’s connection to military history the park celebrates during it’s annual “Honoring Veterans: Past, Present and Future” event. The event has interactive booths, a mini program series, breakfast and a Kids Korner. The Friends of Topsail Hill Preserve State Park will also have a special gift for those that have served or are currently serving in the military. They even have a special chance drawing for a gorgeous patriotic bird sculpture created by local artist Jordan Aucoin during the event. There are new things being added daily to the event so stay tuned to www.floridastateparks.org for updates.

Speaking of the Friends of Topsail, their Meet ‘n Greet reception is on Friday, November 8, 2019 from 5:30-7pm with wine and cheese. It is a wonderful opportunity to meet the board members, learn about what they do and discover how you can help the organization support the park. You can find out more about the organization, the Meet ‘n Greet and the sculpture drawing on their website www.topsailparkfriends.org

Another new thing happening at the park is the Topsail After Dark series which allows park visitors to experience the park in a whole new way, nocturnally. This series kicked off with the monthly campfire on the fourth Friday of each month from 6:30-7:30pm. Come on November 22nd and be regaled with the “Tales of Topsail.” Stay tuned for more nocturnal programming such as night hikes, bat and astronomy programs.

There is something for everyone at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park whether you want to hike, swim, enjoy the beach, camp, volunteer or learn. So, we will see you soon!

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