Cape May National Wildlife Refuge

Cape May National Wildlife Refuge
24 Kimbles Beach Road
Cape May Court House, NJ 08210-2078
609-463-0994

The refuge is currently at 11,000 acres and is made up of three units; the Delaware Bay Division, the Great Cedar Swamp Division, and the Two Mile Beach Unit, and there are plans to expand the Refuge to 21,200 acres.

The Refuge is visited by 317 bird species, 42 mammal species, 55 reptile and amphibian species, and large variety of marine life. The Refuge is the only stop on the 6,000 mile spring migration for 80 percent of red knots and ruddy turnstones.
The Marshes and tidal creeks at the Refuge are critical nursery areas and nutrient resources for many species of fish and shellfish marine life. Seventy percent of the species of marine life in the Cape May National Wildlife Refuge are highly pursued by both recreational and commercial fishermen.

Cape May Peninsula's geography is ideally suited to act as a funnel for songbirds, raptors and woodcock as they make their way south to Cape May Point during their fall migration. With the Delaware Bay to cross, and 12 miles of water to fly over, the migrating birds rest and feed at the Refuge until the winds change to allow them to cross the Bay.

The Refuge's protected wetlands are not only for the protection of birds, marine life, and plants, they also serve to protect people from storm surges and flood waters. During the dry season, the Refuge's ground water supplies are discharged when communities need it the most. The protected wetlands also provide a source of good water quality by filtering out impurities.
The Refuge is open daily from sunrise to sunset.

The Two Mile Beach Unit in the Cape May National Wildlife Refuge is located in Lower Township south of Wildwood Crest, is one of the last remaining undeveloped beaches in New Jersey.

To access the Two Mile Unit from Cape May, take the Two-Mile Bridge to Wildwood Crest, follow the road about a mile and look for the sign to the Refuge on your right. Take Loran Drive to the parking lots and park at the second lot, on the left, near the gate to the Coast Guard station.

The hiking trail and boardwalk area are open throughout the year. The 0.7-mile-long beach portion of Two Mile Beach Unit is closed April 1 to September 30 each year, to provide an undisturbed area for many endangered birds that need the beach habitat to survive. These species include the piping plover, American oystercatcher, black skimmer, red knot, and the dunlin.

Between October 1 and March 31 activities such as wildlife observation, photography, nature study, and surf fishing are permitted on the beach portion of Two Mile Beach Unit. Swimming, sunbathing, surfing, pets, picnicking, kite flying, and shell collecting are prohibited at all times on any portion of the Two Mile Beach Unit.

There are two trails that provide access through the dunes and along the beach from the parking area. Take the sandy trail to the right during the winter. This trail cuts through beautiful views of dune grass and native vegetation that includes bayberry, beach plum and beach grass. At the end of the trail, you will be rewarded with a scenic view of the beach and the Atlantic Ocean and the inlet for the Cape May Canal.

Cape May National Wildlife Refuge welcomes volunteers. Loss of habitat to human use is the world's greatest threat to the endangerment and extinction and species. Because of the encroachment of towns, cities and recreational facilities natural habitats and wildlife, our efforts are critically needed to protect this environment. Interested volunteers can contact Refuge headquarters weekdays from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm.