USFWS · New Jersey

Cape May National Wildlife Refuge

The Cape May National Wildlife Refuge is a protected area on the Cape May Peninsula in Cape May County, New Jersey. It is part of the National Wildlife Refuge System and managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Established in January 1989 with 90 acres (0.36 km2) acquired from the Nature Conservancy, it has since grown to more than 11,000 acres (45 km2) in size, and plans call for its further expansion to more than 21,200 acres (86 km2). It comprises three distinct and non-contiguous units: the Delaware Bay Division, the Great Cedar Swamp Division and the Two Mile Beach Unit. Located in the Middle Atlantic coastal forests ecoregion, the cape provides habitat for large numbers of migratory birds.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

National Wildlife Refuge13,289 acresUSFWSNJ
Official page at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗
Cape May National Wildlife Refuge
Photo by Zeete, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons.

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationNational Wildlife Refuge
Managed byU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
StateNew Jersey
Size13,289 acres
FWS regionRegion 5
Center point39.22° N, 74.75° W
Night skySome glow on the horizon (Black Marble reading 66)

Boundary map

35 outlines

Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees

The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Cape May National Wildlife Refuge30°40°50°60°70°80°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 35.7°F averageFebruary: 37.1°F averageMarch: 43.1°F averageApril: 53.8°F averageMay: 62.5°F averageJune: 71.9°F averageJuly: 76.8°F averageAugust: 75.0°F averageSeptember: 68.9°F averageOctober: 57.6°F averageNovember: 47.0°F averageDecember: 39.1°F averageTemp °F
The line is the average temperature at Belleplain Stn Forest, 5 miles from the center point at 30 feet, station USC00280690 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020.

Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

National Park System units within 30 miles · Park Atlas
Park Unit · 4 mi
Great Egg Harbor River
National Register listings within 15 miles · 72 in all · Register Atlas

Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.

Guidebooks for New Jersey

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

  • Birding the Hudson Valley
    Kathryn J. Schneider, 2018
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • AMC's Best Day Hikes in New Jersey
    Priscilla Estes, 2024
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Rail-Trails New Jersey and New York
    Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, 2019
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Cape May National Wildlife Refuge?

13,289 acres.

Source: How acreage is computed

Who manages Cape May National Wildlife Refuge?

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

What state is Cape May National Wildlife Refuge in?

New Jersey.

Source: How states are assigned

How do I get to Cape May National Wildlife Refuge?

A point inside the boundary is at 39.224° N, 74.752° W. Great Egg Harbor River is 4 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Which national parks are near Cape May National Wildlife Refuge?

Great Egg Harbor River (4 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.

Source: Nearby on the other atlases

Are there historic places near Cape May National Wildlife Refuge?

The National Register has 72 listings within 15 miles, including Franklin Street School and Gandy, John Wesley, House.

Source: Register Atlas

Sources

  • Boundary, name: the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuge boundary layer.
  • States and territories: computed by intersecting the boundary with Census state polygons and coarse outlines of the territories and outlying islands. A place is listed when it holds at least one percent of the area. A boundary that touches no outline is listed under the nearest one.
  • Acreage: geodesic area of the published polygon. The agency’s official acreage can differ where the boundary includes water, easements or inholdings.
  • Photograph: the image Wikidata records for this refuge (Q5034934), the item linked to its Wikipedia article. Author and license come from the file page on Wikimedia Commons.
  • Description: Cape May National Wildlife Refuge on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. The article was accepted because its title contains this unit’s name.
  • Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
  • Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
  • Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.