Cape May County Park North (aka Cameron Wildlife Sanctuary) is apparently a hot secret, because…read moreonly one other car was in the parking lot when I was there on a weekday in the summer.
This is a BEAUTIFUL park / wildlife refuge. Trails wind everywhere through the woods, to hammock clearings, scenic spots with benches to sit, a few ponds stocked with ripe lilly pads, picnic areas, a park office, etc. This park is extremely well maintained, with no litter anywhere.
Yes, DOGS ARE ALLOWED here. Despite contrary info I got from calling the parks office, there are signs stating the rules for dogs to visit the property, dog waste stations with bags, etc. Well behaved, leashed dogs, are permitted. This is a wildlife sanctuary, so it is lucky they have recently chosen to allow this.
It's less than a 10 minute walk to the first pond, and that alone is worth the trip. There are little islands in the pond, with benches on them. Really enchanting.
The history of this property is that in the late 19th C, sand was mined here to make cement for Ocean City, as well as to make South Jersey Glass. The Great Depression ended production here, and the landowners filled the sand quarries with water, and stocked them for their own leisure fishing. The property was willed to the county in 1988 to be made into a park.
In the summer, you MUST wear bug repellent. Even with repellent, I was covered with mosquitoes if I stopped walking for a few seconds. So just beware and be prepared. While picnicking would be serene here, it is probably best to do it in the months when mosquitoes aren't around. Also, gate locks at 4pm sharp!