Upper Township is both a shore town and a major camping destination
Named for its location at the northernmost boundary of Cape May County, Upper Township combines the beachfront recreation of Cape May to the south with the semi-rural quiet of inland Atlantic County to the north. Around 12,500 people call this township home, many of them working in the local healthcare and retail industries. However, summer months see Upper Township become a bustling center of camping, boating and beachgoing, as the township’s Strathmere section shares an island with Sea Isle City. "There’s a lot of places for people who like to walk or get into nature, and these parks go all the way to the ocean," says Dick Saari, the former President of the Board of Directors of Friends of Lake Lily and a longtime Cape May County resident. Several small communities are scattered between Upper Township’s campgrounds and beachfronts, each with distinct amenities and characters. In Upper Township, outdoor recreation coexists with tranquil, rural living.
Adventuring into Upper's parks and beachfronts
Much of Upper Township is occupied by wetlands, forests and other outdoor spaces open for exploration. This township is bounded to the north by the Tuckahoe Wildlife Management Area, a 15,000-acre nature preserve. Hikers can navigate sand roads and immerse themselves in a habitat home to turtles, crabs, bald eagles and many other wild animals. A boat ramp at Mosquito Landing in Upper Township’s Tuckahoe section allows for kayaking down the Tuckahoe River and as far out as the Great Egg Harbor Bay. "Camping is pretty big; there are a lot of campgrounds, and you know that they’re there because, outside of the campgrounds, a lot of people are selling firewood," Saari says. Upper Township’s forests host no small number of “RV resorts” and campgrounds, including the water park, mini-golf courses and cabins at the Ocean City Campground. “People use their vehicles for camping and drive to the beaches, so camping is very, very important in the area,” Saari says.
Along the Atlantic coast, Upper Township’s Strathmere section includes miles of public beachfronts staffed by lifeguards. This neighborhood’s Whale Creek Marina allows for boating in the Ludlam Bay area and in the waters snaking around Sea Isle City.
Upper is home to a small, but storied dining scene
Conveniences from supermarkets to restaurants are scattered throughout Upper Township. Highway 9, locally known as Shore Road, served as the local retail hub, as Seaville’s Acme shares the highway with Marmora’s ShopRite and small businesses dealing in upholstery, hardware and flooring. In addition to a handful of local diners, Upper Township is home to a particularly historic eatery, the Tuckahoe Inn. Though this family-owned bar on the Great Egg Harbor Bay was founded in 1963, it occupies the site of a tavern in existence since 1736 and combines Colonial Revival aesthetics with surf and turf fare. Yesterday’s Creekside Tavern, founded in 1976, uniquely features an on-site liquor store in addition to a restaurant and bar hosting weekend live music performances.
Different hamlets of Upper Township include diverse homes and prices
Like neighboring Cape May County communities, Upper Township is a collection of small, isolated neighborhoods in which streetscapes and prices vary. Mid-2010s-2020s builds in Petersburg, located at the heart of the township, vary in price from $720,000 to $2.4 million. Houses in Tuckahoe, bordering the semi-rural Corbin City, sell for between $230,000 and $725,000. Properties just off the Garden State Parkway built from the 1850s to 1920s have sold for between $250,000 and $670,000, while the most expensive homes – built since 2000 – can go for between $400,000 and $1.15 million. Upper Township’s streets tend to run through heavily forested areas and are flanked by ranch-style residences. Most streets lack sidewalks, although their flat terrain and low traffic make them conducive for neighborhood strolls and dog-walking.
Recreation and healthcare are just around the corner
Upper Township’s location along the Garden State Parkway puts it just 10 minutes away from the beaches of Sea Isle City, 20 minutes from the amusement parks of Ocean City and Wildwood and 25 minutes from the relaxed resort town of Cape May. Upper Township is home to the Cape Regional Physicians Associates family practice, while Marmora’s campus of Cape Regional Urgent Care is a 10-minute drive up Highway 9.
Weather events in Upper Township
First Street assesses Upper Township communities like Seaville to have minor flooding risks, although the wildfire risk is moderate and the wind risk severe, especially during hurricane season.
A-rated education at Ocean City High School
Students can start their education at the Upper Township School District from grades K-8; this district receives a B rating from Niche. High schoolers attend the nearby Ocean City High School, which receives an A-minus rating and recognition from Niche as being the top high school in Cape May County. Ocean City High offers a student-teacher ratio well below the national average, ensuring that students have the chance to shine in the classroom. Extracurriculars like robotics, field hockey and soccer give learners time to exert both creative and athletic prowess.
Written By
Jacob Adelhoch
