Cape May Vacation: Stunning Wildlife, Interesting History, Beautiful Beaches
If you love history, nature, and the beach—then explore Cape May, N.J. The historic seaside resort area in southern New Jersey has beautiful soft-sand beaches, wildlife migrations, Victorian-style homes, and World War II history.
There’s something for everyone here.
You can climb up the famous Cape May Light or go bird watching at the state park. You can spend the day shopping and eating at Washington Street Mall. Maybe you desire to go whale watching or deep-sea fishing. Others might want to relax at one of the beautiful beaches and look for Cape May diamonds and oyster shells. And, if history is your thing, you won’t be disappointed.
Explore Cape May Point State Park
The 235-acre Cape May Point State Park, with an ever-changing coastline, has more than your ordinary state park. In addition to dunes, beaches, freshwater marsh, and ponds, it is home to Cape May Light, a World War II battery, and migratory birds.
There is a nature center and museum at the park explaining the cultural heritage of the area, wildlife migration, Native American history, and the Cape May “diamonds.”
Climb the Cape May Light
The 157-foot Cape May Light brings people to the area. After climbing 199 stairs, you get a panoramic view of the Cape May peninsula with its stunning beaches.
The current light, which still aids in navigation, was built in 1859. NJDEP | Cape May Point State Park | New Jersey State Park Service
The first known lighthouse was built here in 1823, according to its website. A new light was built in 1847 but was dismantled due to the encroaching water and bad design. Original bricks from the 1847 lighthouse were used in the current light. NJDEP | Cape May Point State Park | New Jersey State Park Service
The light and its structures are maintained by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts of Cape May.
View migratory birds
Cape May Point State Park is a major migratory route for wildlife, according to the park’s website. Birds migrate in the fall and spring, and dragonflies and monarch butterflies stop here. Horseshoe crabs lay eggs on the shore and hundreds of hawks pass through the peninsula while heading south. NJDEP | Cape May Point State Park | New Jersey State Park Service
Wooden platforms near Shallow Pond, Lighthouse Pond East, and Lighthouse Pond West help bird spotters get a closer view. There’s always a possibility of spotting birds of prey, ducks, and swans.
Visitors with telescopes and telephoto lens look for bald eagles, golden eagles, Cooper’s hawks, broad-winged hawks, red-tailed hawks, red-shouldered hawks, and peregrine falcons, to name a few. Other frequently seen birds, according to a park sign, include American kestrel, northern harriers, sharp-shinned hawks, turkey vultures, ospreys, and merlins.
Explore World War II Gun Battery
If you are a history buff, you can walk around the outside of the WWII Gun Battery 223 on the Cape May Point State Park beach. (Climbing on the structure is prohibited.)
The park used to be part of a military base, and the battery was built as part of the Harbor Defense Project of 1942. NJDEP | Cape May Point State Park | New Jersey State Park Service
The turrets, according to a park sign, held six-inch guns. The horseshoe-shaped structure has Panama mounts, which once held four 155mm coast artillery guns. The sign notes a sister bunker is across the bay in Lewes, Del.
The gun emplacement used to be about 900 feet inland, surrounded by earth to look like it was on a hill, according to the state website. Erosion now has it sitting on the beach near the ocean. During high tide, the battery is partially emersed.
In the early years of the Cold War, the battery was converted to a Sound Surveillance System station. It was later relocated to Fort Miles in Delaware after storm damage. NJDEP | Cape May Point State Park | New Jersey State Park Service
World War II Lookout Tower
Not far away is Fire Control Tower No. 23, used as a WWII Lookout Tower.
The U.S. Army built fortifications near the entrance to the Delaware River and Delaware Bay, at Fort Miles, according to a park sign. The main batteries and headquarters were at Cape Henlopen, Del., near the shipping channel. Tower No. 23 and Battery 223 were built for support.
Standing tall near Sunset Beach, you can climb to the top of the lookout tower.
The tower pays tribute to local veterans with pictures and plaques on its inner walls. There are artifacts, photos, and exhibits to view on your walk up.
Inside the top room you can see an azimuth instrument, which was used to help in aiming coastal artillery guns at incoming ships, according to a park sign.
During the war, an EE91 telephone was used by tower spotters to communicate to the battery on the beach at Cape May Point.
Two or three azimuths at various towers could pinpoint potential targets. Their directional readings through the scope were taken every 30 seconds on a moving ship and relayed to the artillery batteries, the sign states.
The Grand Hotel is built around the only other surviving tower in Cape May.
See the shipwrecked cement ship
Just a short walk from the fire tower is Sunset Beach. The beautiful beach, known for finding Cape May diamonds, is the final resting place for the cement ship, the SS Atlantus. But how it got there is an interesting story.
Back in 1926, a Baltimore man named Jesse Rosenfeld thought he could start a ferry service between Cape May and Lewes, Del., according to a park sign. He purchased a concrete freighter, built in WWI, and towed it from Virginia to Cape May. Unfortunately, the ship broke free during a storm, according to the sign, and wedged itself in the sand where it’s been ever since.
The SS Atlantus is now a disintegrating hulk off the coast.
Look for Cape May “diamonds”
As previously stated, Sunset Beach is a popular and potentially successful place to find the Cape May “diamonds.”
According to an exhibit at the Cape May Light State Park Nature Center, the Cape May diamond is a quartz crystal that washes out of the mountains, rolls down the Delaware River, and rests on a Delaware Bay beach.
This journey causes the stones to look like pebbles of frosty glass. They can be clear, smoky, amber, or rosy, according to the park exhibit, but light must pass through to be a “diamond.”
If you put these stones in a rock tumbler for three weeks, they are supposed to resemble clear glass. The Cape May diamonds are then sold as gemstones and placed in jewelry.
If you don’t find any, you can always stop at the Rock N Apparel mineral and gift shop at the beach. There’s a restaurant and second gift shop at the beach as well.
Notice the mansions and Victorian homes
People have been coming to the Cape May area since the late 1700s. The homes in Cape May are massive and beautiful.
Cape May’s historic district was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1976 for its Victorian-style homes.
If you are a student of architecture, you’ll observe there are Gothic, Queen Anne, Italianate, and Greek Revival styles mixed with a reflection of late-Victorian trends by local builders. Cape May Historic District – Cape May Experiences and Activities
Biking or taking a trolley ride is a fun way to explore this historic area. Some of the historic buildings are listed on the https://www.capemay.com website.
Trolley tours of the historic district, as well as tours of the mansions, beer and wine establishments, and other experiences are found on the Cape May MAC’s website. Trolley Tours – Cape May MAC
Walk around Cape May Harbor
If you enjoy boating, fishing, or just looking at the yachts and fishermen, you’ll want to hang out at the harbor.
The harbor is where you can pick up fishing excursions and whale and dolphin sight-seeing cruises.
Take a whale-watching cruise
There wasn’t enough time for my group to go on a whale-watching adventure but having done so in other areas on the East Coast I’m sure it would have been exciting. One such tour company is the Cape May Whale Watch & Research Center.
Marine biologists and naturalists narrate and educate the company’s tours, which began eco-tours in 1987. Its website states it offers three tours: a three-hour whale, dolphin, and bird watch; a two-hour dolphin and bird watch; and a two-hour sunset dolphin watch. Cape May Whale Watch & Research Center | Cruises in Cape May, NJ
Stroll around Washington Street Mall
If you enjoy shopping, Washington Street Mall is a great place to eat a meal, have an iced cold beer, or pick up something new to wear.
Sit by the fountain and people watch while enjoying Coke and slice of pizza from Jo Jo Pizzeria Cuisine. Kick off your evening entertainment with an iced cold Guinness at Delaney’s Irish Pub & Grill.
The outdoor mall has live music in the summer. Holiday events and trolley information is available on the path. https://www.washingtonstreetmall.com.
Shops sell baked goods, coffee, ice cream, chocolate, cheese, wine, beef jerky, clothing, shoes, gifts, books, cigars, art, and leather. There are several restaurants and snack shops in the area as well. Washington Street Mall | Cape May Shopping, Dining, Activities
Eating in Cape May
You can’t eat at too many places in 24 hours, but there are a lot of choices in Cape May.
I suggest having dinner one night on the waterfront at The Lobster House in Cape May Harbor. The nautical atmosphere of the five dining rooms and full bar is a beautiful atmosphere to dine. You can watch the fishermen work at the restaurant’s Take-Out zone.
“Commercial fishing fleet at The Lobster House dock offloads and ships millions of pounds of seafood annually and supplies much of the fresh seafood served” at the Lobster House, according to the restaurant website https://thelobsterhouse.com.
There is a 130-foot authentic Grand Banks sailing vessel, called the Schooner American, moored dockside at the restaurant. During the summer season, you can have a cocktail on the vessel, eat lunch, or have evening appetizers while watching the boats come into the harbor. The Lobster House® Restaurant – Family-owned, dockside seafood restaurant overlooking Cape May Harbor
Stay at The Grand Hotel
With plenty of lodging options, we decided on The Grand Hotel Cape May, across the street from the Atlantic Ocean. Our two-story, ocean-view townhouse with a private balcony and a small kitchen and living area was fantastic.
We didn’t have enough time to enjoy the amenities, but there are many. The resort had two pools, a jacuzzi, a restaurant, a promenade, beach tents with service, bike rentals and more. In addition, the hotel is a convention center with amenities for a destination wedding, special events, or business meetings. For more information, visit https://www.grandhotelcapemay.com.
Visit a real WWII hangar
NAS Wildwood Aviation Museum has a real WWII hangar listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The hangar is said to be an exhibit in and of itself, according to the website. Unfortunately, I have no pictures as it closed for the night before I knew it existed.
According to its website, the museum has the TBM Avenger, F6F-3 Hellcat, and F-14 Tomcat as part of its collection of over 20 aircraft. The Collection | NAS Wildwood Aviation Museum
The naval air station was a training facility for dive bomber squadrons during the war. It did night flying and target practice over the bay between 1943-45. Before it was decommissioned, there were 129 crashes, with 42 airmen dying during training exercises. NAS Wildwood History | NAS Wildwood Aviation Museum
Other things to do:
- Cape May Lewes Ferry takes passengers and vehicles between Cape May and Lewes, Del., across Delaware Bay in about 85 minutes. Allow 30 extra minutes to enter by foot, 45 minutes by vehicle. Sailing Information | Cape May-Lewes Ferry
- Cape May County Park & Zoo has 250 species of wildlife including giraffes, zebras, bears, and lions. Park & Zoo | Cape May County, NJ – Official Website
(For more travel tips, check out https://TravelLikeATourist.Com and follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.) Check out my story on Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Cuyahoga Valley NP: Interesting Things You Need To Explore – Travel Like A Tourist