Cape May

Cape May had been a resort since the mid-eighteenth century, and a fire in 1878 destroyed much of the town; the rebuilding happened at the peak of the Victorian style, which is why several hundred gingerbread houses with turrets, porches and painted trim went up in a few years. The whole town is a National Historic Landmark district. Its other reputation is ornithological: the cape funnels migrating birds down the peninsula before the water crossing, and the autumn hawk watch and songbird passage make it one of the most important migration sites in North America, with a research station counting since 1976. Beach access requires a paid tag in season.

Background

Cape May is a peninsula and barrier island system that runs south from the New Jersey mainland between Delaware Bay and the Atlantic, roughly matching Cape May County. The cape holds the southernmost point of New Jersey, which is also the southernmost in the whole northeastern United States. Resort towns line its Atlantic side, among them Ocean City, the most populous, and the Wildwoods with their notable hotel district, while the city of Cape May has served as a resort since the mid-18th century, the oldest in the country.

Source: Wikipedia, "Cape May"

The main sights

• Several hundred Victorian houses - rebuilt at once after the 1878 fire.
• A whole-town historic district - a National Historic Landmark.
• The autumn hawk watch - one of the major migration counts.
• Beaches with paid tags - required in season.

When to go

May to October for the town; spring and autumn for migration. A full day.

Practical notes

Beach tags are charged and enforced. Summer weekends fill the town and the parkway. Most Victorian houses are private homes or inns. Migration quality depends entirely on the wind.

Nearby

The lighthouse and the point are west; Wildwood is north.

Key facts