Cape May Lighthouse

Rising 157 feet above the southern tip of New Jersey, Cape May Lighthouse has guided mariners into the Delaware Bay since 1859. It’s the third lighthouse built on this site — the first two succumbed to shoreline erosion — and today stands as one of the most-climbed lighthouses on the East Coast. The 199-step spiral staircase rewards visitors with sweeping panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean, Delaware Bay, and the Cape May peninsula stretching northward.

The lighthouse sits within Cape May Point State Park in Lower Township, surrounded by coastal dunes, freshwater wetlands, and maritime forest. The park’s trails wind through some of the best birding habitat on the Atlantic Flyway, making it a pilgrimage site during spring and fall migration. Hawks, warblers, and shorebirds funnel through here by the thousands, and the adjacent Cape May Bird Observatory draws birders from around the world.

Beyond the tower, visitors can explore the oil house museum, browse the gift shop in the restored keeper’s quarters, and walk the short trail to the beach where the bay meets the ocean. Sunsets from this vantage point are genuinely spectacular — the lighthouse is one of the few spots on the East Coast where you can watch the sun set over water.

The best time to visit is September through November, when migration peaks and summer crowds thin. The lighthouse is open for climbing from April through November, with extended hours in summer. Arrive early on weekends to avoid lines at the staircase.

Explore Nearby

• Cape May Light — Lighthouse in New Jersey
• Brandywine Shoal Light — Lighthouse in New Jersey
• Chesapeake Country Scenic Byway — Scenic Byway in Maryland
• Scarborough Covered Bridge — Covered Bridge in South Carolina
• Wooddale Bridge — Covered Bridge in South Carolina