Cape May Point State Park

Easy to drive to, with a short walk to fabulous bird watching with lots of big beautiful swans. Trails go from there, but in the rain we didn’t venture far. It was still worth the stop, beautiful and peaceful, especially watching the swans.
And, of course, the Cape May Lighthouse.

Of course, the main draw here is the Lighthouse, which is pretty amazing. However, if you are tired of just walking on the beach and want a change of pace, take a walk on the nature trails in the park.
There is a .5 mile red trail that is all boardwalk and handicapped accessible. There is a blue trail that is 2 miles long and a yellow trail that is 1.5 miles. All 3 of them loop and share common sections. The trails are not really well blazed, but you can’t really get lost.
There are several observation decks and opportunities to see wildlife — mainly birds. Not quite as desolate as the Nature Center, but still not a crowded trail — even in July.
There is also an opportunity to walk on the beach and see a military bunker that was built when the shoreline was a little different.
A nice addition to a Cape May trip — plenty of parking

Very nice area to picnic. There are a few different pavilions with picnic tables. There are public restrooms (not port o potties) which is always a plus!
The Cape May Lighthouse is here, too, which offers fabulous views of the ocean and of the point.
They have a carry in, carry out policy which essentially means there are no trash cans so make sure to bring trash bags if you plan on picnicking.

Great place for bird watching. If your into light houses cape may has one of the best looking lighthouse on the east coast such a romantic place to bring a love one.

Lots of parking and a clean beach.
What they don’t tell you on the website, though, is that if you’re handicapped, they will give you a lift over the sand to the water. We didn’t know and struggled just to get to the beach itself. We had a good time, but it would have been way better if the park better explained the services it offered to the handicapped on its website.

The museum located near the parking lot is one step up from a combo of science fair exhibits and Petsmart. Sort of low rent, but given how little funding public works gets in New Jersey, it’s to be expected. The view from the lighthouse is pretty darn awesome. It’s worth it for that. The trails are pretty cool, too. The red trail is especially for people who need a flat path — it’s like walking on the boardwalk. It’s a pretty decent sidetrip if you’re visiting Cape May for the week.

Between the lighthouse and the nature walk, it makes a great day trip. And this was no two-​bit nature walk! We saw red-​winged blackbirds, oystercatchers, cardinals, a giant hawk that kept staring at us, (harmless) snakes, toads, bunnies, swans, and a hundred million varieties of flora. Bring a camera. In fact, bring several cameras.

Lovely state park where the Cape May Lighthouse ‘resides’. It’s a large park that borders the beach, with a large parking lot, three pavilions and a huge field in the middle.
On the entrance side of the park is the Cape May Lighthouse which you can climb to the top for some spectacular views. Also on that side are the restrooms and a museum with history about the site and lighthouse as well as information about some of the animal life that can be found there.
On the ocean side of the park is a large pavilion where you can sit under a roof and just take in the sea air while looking at the beach. There are two entrances to the beach from this side as well. On the beach itself is a WWII bunker and there are signs on one of the entrances describing its history.
On the far side of the park (from the entrance) is a bird observation platform which overlooks marshland and the birds that inhabit the protected area. Cape May is a huge migratory stop for many birds at different times of the year. Birders in particular will find this fascinating. There are also hiking paths from this side of the park, and into the protected birding area. And, there’s a smaller pavilion for enjoying a picnic.
Lastly, on the side to the left of the entrance is yet another pavilion and marshland.
Every time we’ve gone here, there’s been a busload (or more) of kids from PA and other areas visiting the park. They’re exuberant and enjoying themselves. How nice it would have been if I could have had the same experience when I was a kid! *lol* I see they’re also bringing in a food truck (in the parking lot) for lunches and snacks which is good as there is nowhere else nearby to get these things.
It’s a lovely park with different things to look at and do. Well worth a visit.

This state park is never as busy as I expect! The Cape May Lighthouse is here, and you can pay to walk up to the top. There is a tiny museum and pretty nice public bathrooms. The parking lot is big, and free to park in.
The trails off of the parking lot are easy and flat– it is beautiful, though. Lots of wildlife and birds, as well. There are longer trails up the road, and all are great for bird watching. There is also access to a beach (no swimming) with an old fortress. A great place to visit during the off-​season as well as the summer!

This tiny state park is good for bird watchers and lighthouse climbers. Cape May Point park is open every day and birdwatching is free! The lighthouse is open 11 AM to 3 PM and a trip to the top is $ 8. Also a very small museum on the grounds. Large free parking lot, beach access but no swimming allowed.
The views from the top of the lighthouse are spectacular! But if you’re looking for a place to keep the kids occupied for a couple of hours, this isn’t it lol.
That lighthouse entrance fee is pretty stiff for a quick visit.

This park provides a fantastic way to spend a day if you are in Cape May but you’re not a beach bum. Hey, it happens. Not everyone enjoys the icy cold, brown-​water coziness of the Jersey Shore.
Your best bet is to take advantage of the easily accessible parking at Cape May Light, and that’s one turn off Sunset, which is one of the main roads in Cape May. You want to walk south along the beach away from the Light, and you will see a bunch of access points from the beach to peak into the marshes. These areas are loaded with wildlife, and much of it is a bird sanctuary. You can spend hours in the walkways photographing birds, butterflies, etc.
Of all the surprises I found during a recent trip to Cape May, this was among the top. With Cape May, you always hear about the historic buildings and the old hotels and the famous Exit 0. Hopefully we can use Unilocal to bolster all of the little nuances Cape May offers to give people even more for their time!