Perched at the very southern tip of New Jersey where the Delaware Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean, Cape May Point State Park is one of the East Coast’s premier birding destinations. Its 244 acres of coastal dunes, freshwater wetlands, and maritime forests sit along the Atlantic Flyway, drawing hundreds of thousands of migratory birds — and the birdwatchers who follow them — each spring and fall.

The park’s crown jewel is the Cape May Point Lighthouse, a 157-foot tower built in 1859 that offers sweeping panoramic views of the coastline. Climb the 199 steps on a clear day and you can see across the bay to Delaware. Below, a network of trails winds through diverse habitats where osprey, peregrine falcons, and monarch butterflies pass through in staggering numbers during migration season.

Three freshwater ponds attract wading birds and waterfowl, making the short nature trails rewarding for wildlife photography year-round. The beach itself reveals the remains of a WWII concrete bunker, now half-submerged by decades of shoreline erosion — a striking reminder of the area’s military history.

September through November is the prime window, when raptor migration peaks and monarch butterflies gather by the thousands before crossing the bay. Spring migration from April through May brings warblers and shorebirds in impressive waves.

Cape May Point is a day-use park with no on-site camping, but nearby Cape May offers abundant lodging. Established in 1972, this park packs extraordinary natural spectacle into a compact, walkable footprint that rewards every visit.

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