Cape May
Region Welcome Center
Ocean View Service Area, Garden State
Parkway
This is a full service center operated by the New Jersey Division of Travel and Tourism. It is fully accessible and includes the Cape May County Chamber
of Commerce with information about area lodging and points of interest.
New Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail Route exhibits, an
audiovisual orientation program, information, and brochures about the
Trail are available. The exhibits focus on the Trail's Relaxation &
Inspiration interpretive theme.
Directions: The welcome center is located at
the Ocean View Service Area of the Garden State Parkway at milepost
18.3.
Hours: The information center operates daily
from 9:00am to 4:30pm. It is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and
New Year’s Day.
Telephone: (609) 624-0918.
Cape
May Migratory Bird Refuge
Cape May is one of the prime birding areas on the East
Coast. Because of its location and mile long beach front, the refuge
is one of Cape May’s "hot spots" for birding. During
the spring migration, thousands of migrating shorebirds, songbirds,
and waterfowl pass through this area. It is also a protected nesting
habitat for the endangered least terns and piping plovers.
Directions: Take the Garden State Parkway south
to the end where it joins county road 633 (Lafayette Street) in the
City of Cape May. Turn right onto CR 606 (West Perry Street.) This will
turn into Sunset Blvd. Continue west on CR606 for one mile. The refuge
and parking area are on the left just past Bayshore Rd.
Hours: This point of interest is open daily from
dawn to dusk.
Telephone: The Nature Conservancy (609) 861-0600
Cape May
Point State Park
The park is a combination
of an ever changing shoreline, sand dunes, coastal freshwater marsh
and ponds, wooded islands and varied uplands. It is perhaps best known
as a tranquil area where the visitor may find rest and enjoy the beauty
of nature.
Cape May Point is a popular bird-watching site. It is
not only a home for many species but also a feeding and resting area
for birds migrating south along the Atlantic flyway. Although both spring
and fall migrations occur, the fall is the best time to observe song
birds, waterfowl, shorebirds, sea birds, and birds of prey.
Cape May Lighthouse is listed on the State and
National Registers of Historic Places. It has been an important navigational
aid to seagoing mariners since its construction in 1859. The lighthouse
is located within Cape May Point State Park at the southern tip of New
Jersey.
There is an admission charge for the lighthouse tower
which is operated by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts.
Picnicking, beach walking, birding, a museum, and museum
shop help round out a visit to this site. WWII coastal defense gun emplacements,
now battling the elements of erosion and the encroaching sea, can still
be seen here.
Directions: Take county road 606 (Sunset Boulevard)
west from Cape May, towards Cape May Point. Watch for Trail blazers
and turn south via CR629 (Lighthouse Avenue).
Hours: The park is open daily from dawn to dusk.
The lighthouse is open daily from April to mid-October and weekends
from mid-February to March and mid-October to January 1st. It is closed
January to mid-February. Visitors are encouraged to call for specific
hours of operation during these various periods throughout the year.
Telephone: (609) 884-2159 for the park (609)
884-5404 for the lighthouse.
Corson's Inlet
State Park
Established in the early
1960s, Corson’s Inlet State Park is one of the few undisturbed
stretches of Atlantic coastline left between Atlantic City and Cape
May. Enjoy the beach and the coastal dune trail. Look for remnants of
marine life washed up on the beach, and watch for beach nesting birds
in the spring and summer: piping plovers, black skimmers, and least
terns. Migrations of dolphins, ducks, geese, and monarch butterflies
also pass through this area every year.
Sun bathing, photography, hiking, and biking are seasonal
activities available here. Guided beach walks occur twice each week
from the late spring to early fall.
Directions: From exit 25 of the Garden State
Parkway, turn east onto county road 623 (Roosevelt Blvd), and follow
it into Ocean City. Then turn south onto West Avenue and follow it to
55th St. Turn south (right) onto CR619 (Ocean Highway). The main parking
area for Corson’s Inlet is on the left at the north end of Rush
Chattin Bridge.
Hours: Open daily from dawn to dusk.
Telephone: (609) 861-2404 (Belleplain State forest)
Hereford
Inlet Lighthouse
This "Great Victorian" lighthouse has guided
local mariners along the Jersey Shore since its construction in 1874.
Its fourth-order lantern and lens, 53 feet above sea level, was originally
a fixed white light but was changed to a flashing red and white light
in 1897.
Local volunteer efforts restored the old lighthouse,
which permitted the community of North Wildwood to open the station
to the public. It is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Next door is the old Hereford Inlet Coast Guard Station
now operated by the NJ Marine Police.
Directions: The
lighthouse is located in North Wildwood on Central Avenue, between
First and Chestnut Streets. Southbound Garden State Parkway traffic
can take state road 147 from exit 6 to North Wildwood.
Hours: The lighthouse is open April 1st through
late October, from 9:00am to 4:00pm Monday through Saturday and from
1:00pm to 4:00pm on Sunday. It is closed the remainder of the year.
Telephone: (609) 522-4520.
Higbee Beach
Wildlife Management Area
This one and one-half mile stretch of beach contains
the last remnant of coastal dune forest on the bayshore. The inland
dunes are more than 20 feet high in some places. A forest of holly,
red cedar, and beach plum stabilize them. Several hundred acres of wooded
upland with a dense understory, a freshwater marsh, two freshwater ponds,
a hardwood swamp, old farm fields, and a coastal dune forest all provide
cover for migratory songbirds, raptors, and butterflies. Higbee beach
is managed specifically to provide habitat for migratory wildlife.
Directions: Take the state road 109 west from
the exit at the south end of the Garden State Parkway to the junction
with US9. Turn left onto US9 (all turns from the right lane), and proceed
to the first traffic light. Turn south (left) onto county road 162 (Seashore
Rd.). Turn west (right) onto CR641 (New England Rd.). Follow CR641 for
2 miles to the end and the beach access parking area. Parking areas
close to the beach may be closed during the summer season. Call the
number below for parking information.
Hours: Open daily from dawn to dusk.
Telephone: NJ Division of FG&W (609) 628-2103.
The Wetlands
Institute
Located near Stone Harbor, The Wetlands Institute is situated
on 6,000 acres of coastal wetlands. The marsh, nearby upland, and barrier
islands form a living laboratory where visitors can learn about this
delicately balanced ecosystem between land and sea.
The Wetlands Institute features saltwater aquaria, exhibits,
an observation tower, nature trails, beautiful butterfly and bird gardens,
and guided tours. An admission fee supports the organization’s
efforts.
Directions: From exit 10 of the Garden State
Parkway, take county road 657 east (Stone Harbor Boulevard) toward Stone
Harbor. The Institute will be on your right in about 2.75 miles.
Hours: From May 15th until October 15th, the
trails, interpretive center, and store are open from 9:30am to 4:30pm,
Monday through Saturday, and from 10:00am to 4:00pm on Sunday. From
October 16th to May 14th, they are open Tuesday through Saturday from
9:30am to 4:30pm.
Telephone: (609) 368-1211.
Tuckahoe
Wildlife Management Area (MacNamara)
The scenic Tuckahoe River winds its
way to the Great Egg Harbor River and Bay through an expanse of salt
marsh and tidal creeks, that are excellent for bird watching. Six brackish
water impoundments on the upland edges of the tract also provide good
bird-watching opportunities. Located on the edge of the Pine Barrens,
the woodlands bordering the salt marsh are a mixture of pine and oak
trees. A hardwood swamp and small freshwater lake provide additional
habitat for beaver, turtles, frogs, and fish.
An 8-mile drive provides opportunities for exploring
these dynamic habitats.
Directions: From the junction of US route 9 and
state road 50 in Seaville, take SR50 north for 4.8 miles to county road
631. Turn right, and travel 0.3 miles to the entrance on the left. Turn
left onto the sand and gravel road, and travel 0.5 mile to the office
on the right. Stop at the office for information and maps.
Hours: Open daily from dawn to dusk.
Telephone: NJ Division of FG&W
(609) 628-2436
