Cape May National Wildlife Refuge is not one place — it’s three separate divisions scattered across Cape May County, collectively managing ~11,500 acres of the most ecologically significant habitat on the Atlantic coast. Together they protect pristine ocean beach, Delaware Bay shore, salt marsh, Atlantic white cedar swamp, maritime forest, upland grassland, and freshwater vernal pools — a compressed collection of habitats that supports 317 bird species, 55 reptile and amphibian species, and 42 mammal species. The Cape May Peninsula has been described as one of the ten top birding spots in North America, and this refuge is a core reason why.
The Delaware Bay Estuary — protected in part by the refuge — was designated a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention in 1992, ranking it among the world’s most ecologically critical wetland systems. The reason is clear: each spring, hundreds of thousands of shorebirds make landfall on the Delaware Bay beaches to feed on horseshoe crab eggs, fueling a migration journey from Central and South America to Arctic breeding grounds. The staging area is second in importance only to the Copper River Delta in Alaska.
For visitors, the practical reality is that this is a genuinely multi-site refuge — you choose which division to visit based on what you want to see. Each has its own character, trails, and access point. All are free, all are open dawn to dusk, and all reward a slow, attentive pace over a rushing one.
🌍 Delaware Bay Shorebird Staging — #2 in North America
Each May, the Delaware Bay beaches within and adjacent to Cape May NWR become one of the most spectacular wildlife events in North America. Hundreds of thousands of shorebirds — Red Knots (federally threatened), Ruddy Turnstones, Semipalmated Sandpipers, and more — make landfall from their wintering grounds in South America and descend on the beaches to feed on horseshoe crab eggs. The birds must double their body weight in just days to fuel the final push to Arctic breeding grounds. The timing is precisely linked to horseshoe crab spawning, and when both species converge in late May, the beaches at Kimbles Road (Delaware Bay Division) come alive with shorebird flocks that stagger even experienced ornithologists. This single ecological spectacle is why Cape May NWR holds Ramsar international wetland status.
The Three Divisions — What’s Where
1
Two Mile Beach Unit
ATLANTIC OCEAN · BETWEEN DIAMOND BEACH & COAST GUARD STATION · MOST VISITED
The most accessible and most visited unit — a stretch of Atlantic oceanfront between Diamond Beach and the US Coast Guard Loran Support Unit, managed for nesting shorebirds and as a wildlife corridor.
Beach closed April 1–September 30 (piping plover nesting); open Oct 1–March 31 for walking and surf fishing (from Diamond Beach to the pilings).
Trails:
🌿 Dune Trail — 0.9 mi (1.8 mi round trip) · Ocean dune habitat
🌿 Marsh Boardwalk — 500 ft accessible · Observation platform over salt marsh
Rules when beach is open: No swimming, no sunbathing, no surfing, no pets anywhere in this unit, no kite flying, no picnicking, no shell collecting.
Pets are prohibited at the Two Mile Beach Unit entirely. Visitor Center on-site — check current opening status before visiting.
2
Delaware Bay Division
KIMBLES BEACH ROAD · N OF ROUTE 50 · SHOREBIRD STAGING · PETS LEASHED OK
The ecological heart of the refuge — home to the Delaware Bay shoreline where the spring shorebird staging spectacle unfolds, and the inland trails through grassland and forested swamp.
Kimbles Beach at the road’s end: late May is extraordinary for Red Knots and Ruddy Turnstones feeding on horseshoe crab eggs. The trails here are short and flat but tick-heavy — cover your legs.
Trails:
🌿 Songbird Trail — 1 mi · Grassland + pine/hardwood swamp · Kestrels, bluebirds, box turtles, vernal pool frogs
🌿 Woodcock Trail — Short, flat · American woodcock habitat
Note: trail blazes can be confusing with some dead ends — download a map before visiting. Pets on short hand-held leash permitted.
3
Great Cedar Swamp Division
TYLER ROAD · N OF ROUTE 50 · CEDAR SWAMP HABITAT · PETS LEASHED OK
The least-visited and most atmospheric division — 1 mile through a mixed pine/hardwood Atlantic white cedar swamp and adjacent grassland. Listen for owls roosting in the cedars and look and listen for songbirds in the red maple canopy. The forest here has the dense, cathedral quality of old Atlantic white cedar swamp — a rare and beautiful habitat type nearly lost from the Mid-Atlantic coast.
Trail:
🌿 Cedar Swamp Trail — 1 mi · Located on Tyler Road, north of Route 50, south of Route 631
Pets on short hand-held leash permitted.
Notable Wildlife — Year-Round
🐦 Red Knot (threatened)
🐦 Piping Plover (endangered)
🐦 Ruddy Turnstone
🦅 Peregrine Falcon
🦅 Osprey
🦅 Bald Eagle
🦅 Northern Harrier
🦅 American Kestrel
🦜 American Woodcock
🔵 Eastern Bluebird
🐦 Clapper Rail
🐢 Box Turtle
🦀 Horseshoe Crab (spawning May)
⚠️ Practical Notes: No restrooms, no concessions, no camping, no campfires or horses anywhere on the refuge. Two Mile Beach Unit: no pets permitted at all. Delaware Bay and Great Cedar Swamp divisions: pets on short hand-held leash. Trail blazes in the Delaware Bay Division are inconsistently marked — download a map. Visitor Center at Two Mile Beach may not be open until May 2026 — check before visiting.
📍 World Cup Context: Cape May NWR is ~70–80 minutes from Atlantic City, best combined with Cape May Point State Park and the Victorian town of Cape May itself as a full day trip. During the World Cup window (June–July): the beach at Two Mile Beach Unit is closed for nesting, but the trails and Marsh Boardwalk are fully open. Summer breeding birds are active in the Delaware Bay Division. The Great Cedar Swamp trail is at its most lush. For birders, the refuge at any time of year is excellent; for everyone else, the Marsh Boardwalk observation platform over the salt marsh at Two Mile Beach is the most accessible and visually rewarding single stop.
💚 Fee-Free
🦅 Top 10 US Birding Hotspot
🌍 Ramsar Wetland — International Status
🦀 Horseshoe Crab Staging (May)
317 Bird Species
🌿 4 Trails · 3 Divisions
⚠️ Bring Tick Repellent
📍 Cape May County, NJ
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