Assateague Island is approximately 38 miles long. The entire Island is a wildlife sanctuary, protected from development. The northern portion of Assateague Island is in Maryland, the southern portion is in Virginia. A short bridge connects Chincoteague Island to Assateague Island. Entering Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, visitors are immediately surrounded by the splendor of unspoiled nature. Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge includes more than 14, acres of beach, maritime forest, saltmarsh, and freshwater marsh. The Refuge is home to a spectacular variety of migratory birds, plants, and other animals.
Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge is one of the most visited refuges in the country, receiving approximately 1. Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge offers a variety of outstanding outdoor recreational opportunities. Click here for Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge entrance fees. Assateague Island offers perhaps the most beautiful beach on the Atlantic Coastline. During the summer season swimmers and sunbathers flock to this white sandy oasis. The beach parking lots fill up fast, so be sure to get there early.
A good rule of thumb is to get there before 10am or after 2pm during the peak summer season. Many beachgoers enjoy shell collection limit one gallon per person per day.
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Over Sand Vehicles OSV are permitted in designated areas of the beach, which is subject to unexpected closure due to overwash or nesting species. Horseback riding is allowed along the beach in the OSV zone. Click here for information about the horseback riding use policy and a map of the horseback riding area. A campfire is a great way to end a day in the sun.
Open campfires are allowed only in designated sites located along the beach and certain regulations must be followed. Visitors may obtain a fire permit, free of charge, and a site assignment from the Toms Cove Visitor Center. For more information please contact them at Surfing is also a popular activity at the recreational beach on Assateague Island. Wild ponies have inhabited Assateague Island for hundreds of years.
While some have suggested that the wild ponies on Assateague Island trace their origin to horses released to forage on the Island by early settlers, the circumstantial evidence suggests that they are indeed the descendants of the survivors of a Spanish galleon which wrecked off the coast of Assateague.
- America’s famous swimming ponies make their annual trek across ocean channel.
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- Assateague Island Activities.
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The Maryland herd is owned by the National Park Service. About fifty of the adult ponies are fenced into an area just to the south of the main road and can be viewed by the public. The other hundred adult ponies are kept in an area further north which is only accessible by scenic tour boat or wildlife bus tour. The Fire Company controls the herd size with a pony auction on the last Thursday in July. Each year tens of thousands of spectators come to watch the Saltwater Cowboys swim the pony herd from Assateague Island to Chincoteague Island. There are multiple boat tours that leave from Chincoteague Island and explore the back bays and marshlands of Assateague Island.
Each of these tour boat operations has a Commercial Use Authorization Permit from the National Park Service which allows them to operate their tours within the boundary of the Assateague Island National Seashore. These boat tours a great way to explore the hidden beauty and natural splendor of Assateague Island! They are also one of the best ways to get close to the wild ponies on Assateague Island. Click here for more information about Assateague Island Boat Tours.
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Hiking or Biking the Nature Trails are an excellent way to immerse yourself in the natural beauty of the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge and to observe the magnificent wildlife of Assateague Island. Assateague Island offers several miles of trails for either hiking or biking. About half are paved while the rest are open to foot traffic only.
The Wildlife Loop is a 3. It is open to walkers and bikers throughout the day, but vehicles are only permitted to drive on it from 3: This trail is paved and wheelchair accessible. The Lighthouse Trail is a. It is for walking only. Swan Cove Trail , which branches off of the Wildlife Loop, is about.
Swan Cove Trail is open to both walkers and bikers and is wheelchair accessible.. Black Duck Trail branches off of the Wildlife Loop. It is about 1 mile long and provides access between the Wildlife Loop and the Woodland Trail. This paved trail is for walking and biking and is also wheelchair accessible. The Marsh Trail is a.
Assateague Island Activities
This unpaved trail, open only to walkers, includes an observation platform overlooking Snow Goose Pool. This trail is wheelchair accessible. The Bivalve trail is. Look for the sign while on the Woodland Trail and you can take this self-guided adventure through the maritime forest leading to a section of Toms Cove where you can catch a glimpse of the old lifesaving station or engage in clamming.
This hiking trail is not paved or wheelchair accessible, no bicycles please. Besides the above trails, foot access is permitted on our 7. Bicyclists can access the trail for 1. Trails are subject to closure due to hunting or maintenance.
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Click here for current trail status. The historic Assateague Lighthouse was built in on a natural bluff 22 feet above sea level, providing more height and visibility. Orginally the lighthouse stood adjacent to the open sea at the Chincoteague Inlet. Due to the natural shifting sand southward on Assateague Island since the lighthouse now stands almost 5 miles from the Chincoteague Inlet.
Assateague Island National Seashore (U.S. National Park Service)
The Assateague lighthouse was built, along with many others along the Atlantic Coast, to combat the alarming number of shipwrecks that were occurring as coastal shipping commerce grew. The first light was an oil-burning, fixed Fresnel lens, visible for up to 18 miles.
This Fresnel lens is now located in the Museum of Chincoteague Island. In , it was replaced by the DCB rotating beacon which is still in use today and is visible for 22 miles. Inside the brick tower, a cast iron staircase leads up to the lens tower. Each lighthouse along the East coast has a unique color pattern, used by mariners during the day to identify the lighthouse.
Likewise, each lighthouse flashes a unique pattern at night, which mariners use to identify the lighthouse at night. In , restoration of the lighthouse began to preserve this historic treasure. The Assateague Lighthouse is open for visitors to climb from April through November. The lighthouse can be accessed from the first parking lot on the right after entering Assateague Island. Wild ponies and other wildlife are often encountered when visitors join the boat tour along the extensive inland waters of Assateague Island. Some people believe that the wild ponies of Assateague arrived on Assateague Island when a Spanish galleon cargo ship with a cargo of horses sank off the coast and the horses swam to shore.
Others believe the wild horses arrived there via early colonial settlers. Recently in , a Spanish shipwreck was discovered off Assateague Island, which lends credit to the first theory. In any event, the ponies have become well adapted to the seashore ecosystem.
Many recreational opportunities on Assateague Island exist, including four wheel driving on the beach , seashell collecting along seldom traveled sands, clamming, swimming, surf fishing, beach hiking and more. Some say Virginia is the best side because it has about 70 newborn ponies on that end each summer, unspoiled beaches, a lighthouse and U. Close by is Chincoteague Island home of the pony swim.
Chincoteague is known for its great view of the Assateague Lighthouse. Chincoteague has lodging, seafood, fantastic bird watching and marine eco-tourism - the latter due to its close proximity to Assateague and the U. A visit to Assateague is an experience you will treasure for many years. A destination that offers something for everyone. Recreational opportunities, cultural history, natural attractions, places to stay and eat are nearby at Ocean City, Maryland and Chincoteague Island, Virginia.
Assateague Island is an iconic place to visit. The National Park and Wildlife Refuge contain an astounding variety of activities with diversity that staggers the imagination and makes your visit an unforgettable vacation. Assateague Island National Seashore. Assateague Pony Watching Tours.