Cape May Beach

ByLisa Dworkin Hours

Photo courtesy of Lisa Dworkin. All rights reserved.

Beach Personality: Nice Beach in a Charming, Old-Fashioned Beach Town

Cape May Beach

Cape May, New Jersey is considered by many to be America’s first seaside resort. Visitors from Philadelphia started coming to Cape May Beach as early as the 1700s for their health and pleasure. By 1834, Cape May boasted 6 boardinghouses. (07/2102, http://www.capemaycity.com/Cit-e-Access/webpage.cfm?TID=103&TPID=10704)

Today Cape May is still the site of a popular beach within a quaint seaside resort community. When going to Cape May Beach there are a few things you’ll want to know. Beach tags are required to access Cape May’s beach. The long and wide beach is an oasis of clean, soft, light tan sand. And, one of the benefits of the beach’s length is that there is enough space for different groups of people to enjoy it. So parts of the beach attract a younger, single crowd while other parts of the beach are very family oriented.

Beach Activities:

  • Swimming
  • Boogie boarding
  • Paddle boarding
  • Kayaking
  • Surfing
  • Surf fishing (prohibited within 500 feet of bathers)
  • Parasailing
  • Jet skiing
  • Volleyball
  • Lounging

Beach Amenities:

  • Public bathrooms – Yes.
  • Showers – Yes.
  • Parking – Yes, for a fee.
  • Food – Yes, across the street from the beach.
  • Lifeguard – Yes, seasonally from June through September.
  • Dogs allowed on the beach – Yes, seasonally from November 1 to March 31.

Additional amenities – handicap accessible, surf chairs available for the mobility impaired, concerts at the Convention Center and free movies on the beach in season.

Beach Rentals:

Steger Beach Services (609-884-3058) rents a variety of items including chairs, umbrellas, tents, boogie boards, surf boards, paddleboards, beach carts and even beach storage boxes.

Geared Up Rentals (888-473-6964) rents beach chairs, umbrellas, beach carts, wagons, beach towels, beach tents, boogie boards, coolers, and bicycles. They deliver for free.

Cape Kayaks (609-884-1224) rents kayaks and offers delivery for a small fee.

Directions:

Cape May Beach runs parallel to Beach Avenue between Broadway Road at the southern end and Pittsburgh Avenue at the northern end in Cape May, New Jersey, 08204. To reach Cape May, take the Garden State Parkway/NJ-109 S. Continue on Lafayette Street where the highway ends (you will be on the same road). Keep left at the fork in the road. Turn left at Jackson Street. When you reach Beach Avenue turn left or right and look for parking.

You can also reach Cape May by taking the Cape May-Lewes Ferry from Lewes, Delaware. From the disembarkation point, drive to US-9 N and follow it until you reach Seashore Road. Turn left onto Seashore Road/NJ-162. Follow Seashore Road as it turns into Broadway Avenue. Continue on Broadway until you reach Beach Avenue. Turn right on Beach Avenue and look for parking.

To many joyful beach experiences!

— Lisa Dworkin

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