Topsail Hill Preserve State Park

Topsail Hill Preserve State Park offers inland trails through coastal scrub and past rare, coastal dune (freshwater) lakes. The 2.5-mile Morris Lake Trail is slightly more productive than the Campbell Lake Trail, although either will yield Eastern Bluebirds, Eastern Kingbirds, Red-headed Woodpeckers and Brown-headed Nuthatches. Migrant songbirds such as Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Magnolia Warbler, Blue Grosbeak and Indigo Bunting can be found in spring and fall. Check the beachfront for Sandwich, Least and Royal Terns; Bonaparte’s, Herring and Ring-billed Gulls are present in winter. Snowy Plovers nest on the beach during the summer, and Piping Plovers may be present in the winter. Look for Willets and Black-bellied Plovers near the outfall for Morris Lake at the Gulf. In winter, scope the surf for Common Loons, Horned Grebes and Northern Gannets and during fall migration look for Black Terns. The beach is very popular in the summer months, so plan accordingly.