Exploring Sunset Lake Park and Turtle Gut Inlet in Wildwood Crest

The beautiful Sunset Lake Park is located on the bayside in Wildwood Crest, New Jersey and is open to visitors year-round. When visiting you'll find a very small parking lot, but if its full you'll have to park (free) on one of the side streets nearby.

Sunset Lake Park is known for the beautiful sunsets to the south. There are no hotels, motels or other commercial buildings to obstruct your view. One of the things I love about the park is that it sits right along the banks of the bay. You will get some of the prettiest views of the back bay waters and the boats that are passing by.

It's home to the Turtle Gut Inlet Memorial which was a battle fought on June 29th, 1776 during the Revolutionary War. The memorial honors the seamen and officers of the Brigantine Nancy. This was the only Revolutionary War battle that was fought in Cape May County.

When visiting I suggest that you stop to read the information plaque that is located near the memorial which will give you additional information about the battle. From what we learned is that only one American lost his life during the battle and is now regarded as a local hero. You can read all about it while you're there and you can find some information about the battle at CrestHistory.org.

Underneath the Turtle Gut Inlet Memorial you'll find another memorial stone to honor the men and women who lost their lives on September 11th, 2001. You can't see the text on the memorial stone in our photos, so I'll list what it says below.

In loving memory of those tragically taken September 11th, 2001. Always in our hearts and never forgotten. Andrew Alameno January 12th, 1964 September 11th, 2001.

From what one of the residents in the area told us...Andrew Alameno was a local who lost his life on that dreadful day when terrorists attacked America. We must never forget the victims and their families.

As you walk through this beautiful park you'll find a few benches that you can sit on to relax, but I recommend heading up to the waterfront and sitting in the gazebo. The views that you get of the bay and the sunsets to the south are absolutely breathtaking! Definitely one of the prettiest areas in Wildwood Crest!

Throughout the year they host a wide variety of events in the park. They hold craft shows, free music concerts during the summertime, the Christmas in July boat parade, Hydrofest Power Boat Races, the seafarers celebration and other popular activities. On the day that we visited we had the entire park to ourselves which made exploring it a lot of fun!

If you're going to be visiting Stone Harbor, Wildwood, and/or Cape May in New Jersey...we recommend taking a little drive into Wildwood Crest on the bayside to check out Sunset Lake Park and the Turtle Gut Inlet Memorial. You'll be treated to some beautiful waterfront and sunset views!