Higbee Beach Wildlife Management Area
Managed by New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife
1,076 acres6.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Smallbones · Public domainA+Outdoors
Outdoors in Lower Township
38% of Lower Township’s land is conserved: 6,679 acres
5,663 acres are parks and preserves, 258 per 1,000 residents. 97% of residents live within a half mile of a park. The biggest trail networks: Higbee Beach Wildlife Management Area (6.2 mi), Cape May Point State Park (3 mi), Garrett Family Preserve (2.9 mi).
Ahead of 97% of U.S. towns · #54 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it
Conserved land
38%
6,679 acres · of 27.4 sq mi of land
Trails
20 mi
0.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
5,663 ac
258 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
97%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
13 mi
7.3 mi lanes · 4.8 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
13
6 beaches
What kind of outdoors town is Lower Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Lower Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Lower Township is ahead of 97% of U.S. towns, #54 of 468 in New Jersey. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; conserved land ranks highest, trail miles lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Lower Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land38% of the land · typical NJ town 11% · U.S. 4%A+Trails0.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (20 mi) · NJ 0.7 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land258 acres of park per 1,000 residents (5,663 acres) · NJ 25 · U.S. 13AParks close to home97% of residents within a half mile of a park · NJ 98% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 97%
LessMore
New Jersey towns of 2,500+ (468)Ahead of 89%
New Jersey towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 11%; the U.S., 4%), so Lower Township’s 38% is ahead of 92% of New Jersey towns, while its trails per square mile lead 51% of them.
Water is 12% of Lower Township’s area (4 of 31 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 34%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A to A+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Higbee Beach WMA, with 6.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Cape May Point State Park
Nature preserve
246 acres3 mi of trail
Plover TrailMonarch TrailCattail TrailRaptor Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Garrett Family Preserve
Nature preserve
47 acres2.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
South Cape May Meadows
Managed by The Nature Conservancy
181 acres1.8 mi of trail
East TrailEast Trail SpurMain TrailState Park Connection Trail+1
Dogs usually not allowed
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Cape May National Wildlife Refuge
Managed by United States Fish and Wildlife Service
257 acres0.8 mi of trail
Northern Dune TrailSouthern Dune TrailMarsh Boardwalk TrailCentral Dune Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
All 10 parks & preserves
Higbee Beach Wildlife Management Area1,076 acres · 6.2 mi of trail · New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife
DirectionsCape May Point State Park246 acres · 3 mi of trail
DirectionsGarrett Family Preserve47 acres · 2.9 mi of trail
DirectionsSouth Cape May Meadows181 acres · 1.8 mi of trail · The Nature Conservancy
DirectionsCape May National Wildlife Refuge257 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · United States Fish and Wildlife Service
DirectionsShorebirds Tolz Beach Preserve9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · New Jersey Natural Lands Trust
Cape May Coastal Wetlands Wildlife Management Area2,454 acres
DirectionsCape May County Park South - Fishing Creek Wildlife Preserve562 acres · Cape May County
Cox Hall Creek Wildlife Management Area326 acres · New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife
Diamond Beach Park1 acres · Lower Township
DirectionsWho protects it
6,679 conserved acres
38% of Lower Township’s land. Water is left out: Lower Township has 27.4 square miles of land and 3.7 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Lower Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State fish & wildlife5,719 ac
County954 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits891 ac
Town or city517 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service258 ac
State natural resources243 ac
Other state land238 ac
State Conservation Area · 5,471 acState Resource Management Area · 1,409 acPrivate Conservation · 872 acAgricultural Easement · 710 acLocal Conservation Area · 672 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 390 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 16 of 178 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cape May Coastal Wetlands Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 3,536 | Open |
| Higbee Beach Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 2,229 | Open |
| Cape May County Park South Local Other or Unknown | County | 1,124 | Open |
| Cox Hall Creek Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 603 | Open |
| Cape Island Wildlife Management Area State Resource Management Area | State fish & wildlife | 456 | Open |
| Cape May Point State Park State Park | State natural resources | 405 | Open |
| Cape May National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 258 | Restricted |
| Cape May Migratory Bird Refuge Site Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 222 | Unknown |
| Cape Island Creek Preserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 185 | Open |
| Cape May Corridor Macrosite Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 174 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
22 places to go in Lower Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Lower Township
The Grand at Diamond Beach
DirectionsTwo Mile BeachIn Cape May National Wildlife Refuge
DirectionsPlus 4 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Public pools in Lower Township
Community Pool
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Lower Township
5 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Lower Township
Central Dune Trail Observation TowerIn Cape May National Wildlife Refuge
DirectionsMarsh Trail Observation TowerIn Cape May National Wildlife Refuge
DirectionsPlus 6 scenic views without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Lower Township
Seashore Campsites RV Park & Campground
DirectionsPlus 1 campground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Trails & water
14 named trails and 13 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 5.0 miUnpaved · 13.8 mi
Plover Trail0.8 mi
Monarch Trail0.5 mi
East Trail0.5 mi
Northern Dune Trail0.4 mi
East Trail Spur0.4 mi
Main Trail0.4 mi
State Park Connection Trail0.3 mi
Southern Dune Trail0.2 mi
Cattail Trail0.2 mi
Raptor Trail0.2 mi
4 more trails
Dune Trail
0.1 miMarsh Boardwalk Trail
0.1 miPark Boulevard
0.1 miCentral Dune Trail
0.1 miBiking & sports
13 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
7.3 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
4.8 mi
off-road bike paths
0.6 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
14Tennis
7Baseball
6Basketball
4Tracks
2Soccer
2Football
2Pickleball
2Lacrosse
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →14 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 2 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Cape May LighthouseStructure · listed 1973
About itFishing Creek SchoolhouseBuilding · listed 1980
About itCold Spring Presbyterian ChurchBuilding · listed 1991
About itJonathan Pyne HouseBuilding · listed 1997
About itHangar No. 1-United States Naval Air Station WildwoodBuilding · listed 1997
About itCold Spring Grange HallBuilding · listed 1998
About itGeorge Hildreth HouseBuilding · listed 1999
About itTBM-3E "Avenger" Torpedo Bomber WarplaneStructure · listed 2003
About itFire Control Tower No. 23Building · listed 2003
About itOwen Coachman HouseBuilding · listed 2005
About itRio Grande StationBuilding · listed 2007
About itOctagonal Poultry HouseBuilding · listed 2008
About it2 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Lower Township: April to July
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.7 | 10.7 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.3 | 14.9 | 14.6 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 10.0 | 9.4 |
| High (°F) | 43 | 45 | 52 | 62 | 71 | 80 | 85 | 84 | 78 | 67 | 57 | 48 |
| Rain (in) | 3.3 | 3.1 | 4.2 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 4.6 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 4.2 |
February is the driest month (3.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 85 °F). 4.6 inches fall in August, the wettest month. The climate in Lower Township →
Next door
Lower Township and its neighbors
Lower Township has the second most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Middle Township25 miLower Township20 miCape May1.7 miWildwood Crest1.5 miCape May Point1.0 miVillas0.7 miNorth Cape May0.4 miWest Cape May0.1 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lower Township | 38% | 0.7 | 258 | 97% | A+ |
| Cape May | 18% | 0.7 | 90 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Villas | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Middle Township | 54% | 0.4 | 775 | 81% | A |
| North Cape May | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Wildwood Crest | 18% | 1.2 | 50 | 99%+ | A+ |
| West Cape May | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Cape May Point | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Lower Township
Where can I hike in Lower Township?
The longest trail networks: Higbee Beach Wildlife Management Area, 6.2 miles; Cape May Point State Park, 3 miles; Garrett Family Preserve, 2.9 miles; South Cape May Meadows, 1.8 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Lower Township is conserved land?
38% of its land, against a typical 11% for a New Jersey town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Lower Township’s trails?
Higbee Beach Wildlife Management Area and Cape May Point State Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Lower Township?
13 miles of bike routes are on the map: 7.3 of painted or protected lanes, 4.8 of off-road paths and 0.6 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Lower Township?
23,930 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Lower Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 5,666 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Lower Township have?
Ahead of 97% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #54 of 468 in New Jersey. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Lower Township neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →