Cape May Point State Park: More Than a Great Beach

Most people avoid the beach on gloomy days, but that`s the best time to head for Cape May Point State Park. Unlike most beaches, where the sun and surf are the only attractions, the park also features a 157 foot tall lighthouse, a World War II bunker, and 190 acres of sand dunes, freshwater marshes, islands, and ponds crawling with critters. On gloomy days, there are few visitors around to disturb your explorations. The lighthouse, which is still lit nightly to protect sailors, is a creamy pillar fronted by tall grasses and a wooden picket fence. Climb the 218 steps to the top and you`ll be rewarded with a panoramic view of Cape May peninsula. Just below you is the Wildlife Observation Platform where you can view ducks, swans, herons, seagulls, and, in the fall, migrating birds (especially hawks) and monarch butterflies. And the World War II bunker on the beach, built to protect us from an enemy invasion that never came. At low tide, you can see the gun mounts. Back at sea level, visit the exhibits about bird migration, shoreline erosion, the marine environment, local Indians, and critters (alive and dead) in the Interpretive Center`s museum. On summer weekends, you can take park naturalist-led nature walks. Kids can learn about and touch horseshoe crabs, turtles, snakes, and frogs through the “Kids & Critters” programs. The park has three easy hiking trails (.5, 1.3, and 2 miles) where you can watch shore birds up close. You might also spot rabbits, raccoons, and snakes (non-poisonous). You can surf fish for weakfish, bluefish, tautog, and striped bass, but be warned, seaweed seems to be the most common catch. Save some time for the Jersey shore`s best known activity: going to the beach. The park`s pristine, dune-fringed beach will bring serenity to your soul—even in gloomy weather.

If You Go:
Everything at the Cape May Point State Park is free but the lighthouse climb. The park has a large parking lot (which fills up after noon on summer weekends), three picnic areas, and restrooms.

To get there, take Garden State Parkway toward Cape May to 109 North to 9 North. Turn left onto Seashore Rd., right onto Sunset Blvd, and left onto Lighthouse Ave. For more information, call 609-884-2159.

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Author: Lori De Milto