Cape May NJ length of stay

There's no better view of NYC at sunset than from Liberty State Park across the marina from the campground.

Remember, you CAN use the Garden State Parkway to get down to Wildwood/Cape May. You don't want to use Rt. 9.

Thanks everyone. You have given me a lot to look into. I’m hoping to make my reservations this weekend. So I’ll do some research this week.

I did see how big the beaches are in a Wildwood on google earth! I guess you don’t get the full perspective that way. I would imagine it’s got to be crazy!!! Maybe we are crazy, but We like tourist traps just for all the stuff to do and to people watch! At the same time I also like no one around and that’s when I head up into northern WI. Very quiet up there!

Side note: Wildwood and North Wildwood are quite commercialized with a 3 mile boardwalk full of roller coasters, games, water parks, food,etc. Wildwood Crest next door is cleaner and quieter. No boardwalk, no liquor stores, and no gas stations.

There is a mile long concrete bike path along the beach in wildwood crest that leads directly to the boardwalk. Bike riding is allowed on the boardwalk before noon, but it starts getting crowded by 10am. One of my favorite things to do when I'm down there is get up early, bike up to the boardwalk to watch the sunrise, then stop at one of the many places that serve breakfast and most have outdoor seating. Some of the breast breakfast deals are at the pizzerias which most open by 6 AM.

I would give yourself at least four days if you want to see Manhattan. So much to see and do in the area. In Addition to museums and theaters, there is the Greenway which is an elevated pedestrian walkway made mostly from an old railroad line that you can see much of the city in a whole different perspective.

Us Wildwood people take great pride in our unusually big beaches! When my grandfather bought his beach house down in Wildwood Crest decades ago he used to refer to going for a swim as "crossing the Sahara".

My preference would be to stay in Cape May(The Depot Travel Park). From there you can ride a bike into Cape May with all the shops and dining. Wildwood would be a 7 mile ride north up the parkway. I would not plan on going in the ocean in Wildwood. It has one of the longest walks from the boardwalk to the water and in the summer it will be a long HOT walk. If you want to go in the ocean, go while in Cape May. Head to sunset beach. This is where the ocean and Delaware Bay meet. You can also take the Camp May ferry over to delaware for a day trip. Atlantic City would be a 35 mile trip north on the parkway. There are not as many casino's on the boardwalk as there use to be. Personally AC is not worth the trip. Just my opinion. In any case get the reservations in early as possible due to the time you are planning on going.

Bill

I recommend a minimum of 3 nights at Liberty Harbor, giving you time to make several trips into Manhattan. The NY waterway is very convenient. You will have more ferries from Paulus Hook if you are willing to walk about 1 mile. It's a fun way to get over the city and only costs around $8 each way.

http://www.nywaterway.com/PaulusHookTerminal.aspx

Wildwood is very commercialized. Sea Aisle City, Avalon, and Stone Harbor have much nicer beaches and boardwalks in my opinion, Wildwood makes a nice 1x visit. There are many campgrounds down in that area and they won't be cheap in July. Get to the beach early to beat the crowds and heat, then relax poolside in the afternoon. Beach tags are required on most public beaches, but very modest in cost. No dogs. Biking on the boardwalks is fun and limited to certain hours.