Monday, August 23, 2021

Cape May Point State Park

Wow, it has been a minute since I posted anything travel-related, but earlier this month, we took a short vacation to Wildwood and Cape May, New Jersey.  My grandparents lived in Wildwood Crest for a good portion of my life, so we spent many summer weekends there when I was a child.  I have so many happy memories from those times, so it was nice to be able to spend an extended amount of time there after being away for so long.  My sister invited us along on her vacation, and we were lucky to have mostly beautiful weather while we there, especially the day we decided to go for a walk at Cape May Point State Park!

 

Cape May Point State Park has a little something for everyone - bird watching, trails, beaches, dunes, ponds, a WWII bunker, and the Cape May lighthouse, which you can climb for a small fee.  For more information about the park, visit this site.  The park has three trails: Red (0.5 miles), Yellow (1.5 miles), and Blue (2 miles).  They somewhat overlap, so we started with the Blue Trail, with the dunes on one side and two ponds on the other.  The trail here is a sandy, rocky mix.

The beach is just on the other side of the dunes and there is a connector trail.

There are great views of the lighthouse from everywhere along the trail!

Once we moved away from the dunes/beach, the trail turns into a combination of boardwalk and dirt path, and the feel of the park sometimes even feels like forest.


The Red Trail is a short offshoot from the Blue Trail and is quite shady until you reach a bird blind/viewing area.  There are a couple other bird blinds/viewing areas along the Blue Trail.

These flowers called swamp rose-mallows were in bloom during our visit.  They were enormous and beautiful and everywhere!  Even though the trails weren't long, Cape May Point State Park was a great place to meander for a little while.  The trails are all flat, making them easy for all levels of walkers/hikers.  There's also no entrance fee, which is nice.  Definitely a must-see when you're in the area!

26 comments:

  1. It looks so beautiful and peaceful there! 😍

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  2. I love exploring here! I have taken walks here since I was a kid. I didn't take my kids this year, but when we vacationed at CM last year, we spent the morning here. They love the boardwalk paths --always something new to see here! I love your photo with the lighthouse and the flowers. Did you climb it? I haven't climbed the lighthouse in years....hopefully sometime soon! Great photos! I'm glad you had a nice vacation!

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    1. Thanks, Christina! We didn't climb the lighthouse this time, but maybe next time!

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  3. That is so beautiful! I've never been to Cape May or Wildwood, but one of my daughters just loves it there. Our FL neighbors recently bought a condo in Wildwood for their summer place/family retreat. Would love to visit that area one day.

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    1. Oh, I hope you get a chance to! It's such a wonderful place.

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  4. I forget how pretty it is down there because I always wasted away my time in Wildwood (for dance competitions). Great pictures!

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    1. Thanks, Sam! I haven't been to Wildwood/Cape May in years, so this was a nice treat.

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  5. Looks beautiful there. Isn't it nice when we can revisit the site of so many good memories? I love boardwalks through marshy areas.

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    1. Yes! I drove past my grandparents' old house and showed Tom all the places we used to go when I was a kid.

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  6. Oh wow, such a beautiful and peaceful looking place!

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  7. Oh this looks so beautiful, it must have been such a nice walk. Thanks for sharing!

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  8. What gorgeous photos! Makes me wish I was there!

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  9. It's so pretty! I'm glad you had a good vacation!

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  10. Such a lovely vacation spot! I am living vicariously through you right now! ;)

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    1. Ahh, it was such a great trip, I'm glad we were able to get away for a little bit.

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  11. I love posts like this! Since traveling far away is still not allowed and just doesn't feel good... Now I feel like traveling a bit! :)

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    1. Oh, I know! This was pretty close to home, but it was still a lovely getaway!

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I'm so glad you stopped by, and I would love to hear your thoughts! Comments are always greatly appreciated!