The effects of vegetation structure and tidal flooding on the organization of a spider community were studied along an elevational gradient in an intertidal marsh. High marsh habitats were dominated by the grassSpartina patens(Ait.) Muhl., a species characterized by a low, matted profile and a complex layer of thatch. Another grass,Spartina alternifloraLois., is more upright in structure, has a poorly developed thatch layer, and abounds in habitats that extend from the high marsh to much lower elevations. Along this elevational gradient, the structure ofS. alterniflorachanges from a short form on the high marsh to a tall form on the low marsh, and the frequency and duration of tidal flooding increases. Although more robust in structure during the summer months, the tall-form habitat ofS. alterniflorais selectively destroyed and defaunated during the winter by shifting ice and storms and must be recolonized by spiders every spring from the more protected overwintering short-form habitat ofS. alternifloraon the high marsh. In all, 21 species of resident spiders were sampled from the two grasses. The community of spiders inS. patenswas less diverse than inS. alternifloraand consisted mostly of hunting spiders (Lycosidae, Gnaphosidae, Clubionidae, Thomisidae, Philodromidae, and Salticidae), which were more abundant in this low-profile grass. Web-building spiders (Dictynidae, Linyphiidae, Araneidae, and Tetragnathidae), which were rare inS. patens, occurred commonly in the more upright structuredS. alterniflorabecause of the abundance of sites for web attachment. Down the elevational gradient from short-form to tall-formS. alterniflora, the abundance of most hunting spiders and several web-building species decreased and was associated with an increase in the frequency and duration of tidal flooding. Winter defaunation of tall-formS. alternifloracontributed further to the depauperate spider community in this low marsh habitat. Thus, vegetation structure and elevational factors act in concert to influence the distribution, abundance, and community structure of spiders in intertidal marshes.