Cape May National Wildlife Refuge

October is a great time to visit. All areas are now open. Take the trail to the beach and you'll be rewarded with sights and sounds of the Jersey shore. Plenty of birds and sea life to witness. On my recent visit, the dolphins were very active as were the osprey. The visitor center is currently closed due to the government shutdown.

Beautiful and quiet, free parking, visitor centre closed when we were there. Lovely beach walks and views

This has a nice little Nature Center and kids can earn a junior Ranger badge. The ladies working the desk there were great with my little nephew

Went on the free birding nature walk! Extreme knowledgeable folks! Had a great time, there are so many different types of birds and wildlife there at different times of the year, it’s worth going back!

Visit Historic Cape May New Jersey, enjoy beautiful scenery, and wildlife.

They close the entire beach April 1st to September 30th for “nesting birds”, leaving very little to see and explore. Visitor center has limited hours, we were there at 2:30 on a Saturday and it was closed.

Very Peaceful Walking Trail. " I didn't realize how many endangered species lived along the coast." I wish I would have took more pics but it was very surreal in the sense, that even the animals looked like they have had little contact with People. Recommend for anyone who loves nature !

Great place for general wildlife observation, especially for avian species. 3 different locations throughout cape may county with at least 1 trail at each. Very well positioned on Atlantic Flyway

I love National Parks. Not just because I'm patriotic with an environmentalist sensibility -- but because they are time warps of sorts -- a glimpse back at the way things once were and (hopefully) will be for our descendants -- long downstream. The Cape May National Wildlife Refuge is a pleasant respite from the commercialism of Jersey Shore holidays -- its' boardwalk attractions, fast food and fast living. It is well marked and you can bring your binocs along to spot wildlife and unique plants and flora found nowhere else. Better still -- bike in and hop scotch around between dunes and other natural formations -- but avoid crossing into the restricted areas that are clearly marked by Area 51 type warning signs -- lest you want automatic weapon toting humans rousting you. We walked the trails in sand, alongside more poison ivy in one 2 square mile stretch than I have probably seen in my entire life. Bring bug spray, a fishing pole to cast off the jetty -- and maybe even long pants and an epipen if you are especially sensitive to insect stings and poisonous plants. Free bird watching walks are regularly available and -- thankfully -- it is a relatively unpopulated attraction so it is soulful in its solitude.

THIS IS THE TWO MILE LANDING WILDLIFE REFUGE LOCATED IN WILDWOOD CREST. There are 3 ways to get to this beautiful refuge: first is off Ocean Ave/pacific ave, second turn Down Madison to the end and it is on the right, or access from the beach -only Oct-March. Access from the beach is closed off by ropes and volunteers monitor those trying to walk the refuge from April thru September 31st. Protected area for migrating and nesting birds. There is a great trails to see the wildlife refuge. It runs parallel to the beach. Guided tours are available. We saw some great birds this summer landing on the beach! My first spotting of an American Oyster Cracker. I only wish I was able to get a picture, happened so fast. Don't forget your binoculars! The butterfly migration in October is really something to see, nature at its best. We have spotted white skunks, and have seen one coyote.

I really enjoyed exploring various trails at the refuge over my week's vacation this summer. It's a great place to get away from the typical touristy beach scene. There are multiple sections of the refuge so not too far from any one town you're staying in. I do wish there were better maps of the trails. And do not underestimate preparing for a trek out even though these trails are not that long. They don't seem to be visited much and so grass is high and pants should really be worn. I really enjoyed the ponds on the Songbird trail. The Woodcock trail was relentlessly covered in spiderwebs and I turned around at one point bc the grass was way too high for me to be going thru with only shorts. The Marsh trail is short sweet and lovely. I attempted the Dune trail after that, but the flys and heat were unbearable and I didn't look ahead to get a trail map so I had to bail after 15 mins of walking thru the dunes. I will definitely be back in the cooler months to check out the rest of the two mile beach unit, and then to hit up the Cedar Swap trail too.