Assateague Island Guide

Located just 8 miles south of Ocean City, Maryland, Assateague Island National Seashore is a 37 mile long gem in the national and state park systems. Here, you’ll find information about Assateague’s history, parking and entrance fees, the wild ponies and other wildlife, camping, recreational activities, pet policies, Chincoteague, articles,  tours, photos, and more.

With miles of beaches, bike paths, and and acres of undeveloped natural habitats, Assateague is a wonderful place to spend a day or your entire vacation. Wild ponies wander the marshes, birds chase the waves in search of clams and crabs exposed by the waves, and brown pelicans skim the surface of the Atlantic. Large schools of fish can be seen offshore and dolphins play just outside the breakers. If you are lucky, you might even see a whale coming up for air between the waves and the horizon in the late summer. You can visit yourself, or go by water as part of a tour from Ocean City.  If you like the solitude and natural beauty of the Outer Banks, then Assateague is a closer option.

You can choose the State park where you can buy food and drinks and enjoy the comfort of shower houses with changing facilities, rest rooms, and hot showers.  You can opt for the National park which offers less amenities, but has outside showers, toilet facilities, and boardwalks crossing the dunes to the wide sandy beaches and the Atlantic Ocean. Camping of all types is available at both parks. In addition to camping, fishing, and beach-going, there are a myriad of activities run by the Assateague park systems and their vendors to keep all guests well entertained and in awe during a visit.

Assateague Island State Park

The State Park is Maryland’s only ocean park and is the closest park to Ocean City, MD. Travel East on Route 611 and you will see the new visitor’s center on the right just before you cross the bridge to the island. If you go straight, you will pass the road that takes you to the National Park entrance. You will see a circle in front of you and a small road to your right that gains you access to the parking for Assateague Island State Park. The state park has a bike trail, marina and boat launch, nature programs, camp sites of all types, a camp store, dumping station, food and beverages for sale in season, fishing, swimming, a nature center and kayak rentals. Life guards protect the beach from Memorial Day to Labor Day from 10 – 5. Public access to the beach and the day use parking lot is open from 9:00 a.m. to sunset, 7 days a week. There are fees for day use and parking as well as camping.

Assateague Island National Seashore

The National Park on Assateague is much larger than the state park and offers wilderness camping opportunities as well as regular tent and RV camping, OSV (over sand vehicle) access to the beach for fishing, kayak rentals on the bayside from Assateague Island Outfitters, and miles of marsh and beach ideal for beach going, birding, and looking for the ponies.  There are entrance fees to enter the park, but a pass to the National Seashore also gets you into Chincoteague, the national park on the southern end of Assateague Island.  You can even camp with your horses in the off-season!

The office for the national park is located just inside the entrance gates to the right and offers campground information and registration, back-country camping permits, hunting information and over-sand vehicle permits. There is ample parking throughout the national park starting with the large lot just to the left (ocean side) as you enter the park.  Expect lines during the summer so it is best to get there early in the morning for a day of fun.

The Visitors Center at Assateague

The Assateague Island Visitor’s Center is located on the south side (right hand side as you approach the ocean) of Route 611 just before you get to the Verrazzano Bridge. The visitors’ center is open year-round from 9:00 am until 5:00 pm daily only closing on Thanksgiving and Christmas days. The exhibits in the visitors center include aquariums, touch tanks, maps, exhibits, and a film about the wild horses of Assateague and Chincoteague. Restrooms, a gift shop, lost and found, and emergency services are available as are regularly scheduled and special programs for information on the island.

Assateague Island Entrance Fees

National Park Fees

Holders of the Parks and US Forest systems “Golden Eagle” pass get unrestricted access to the national park. For others, you will pay a “day rate” or buy an annual pass.

Maryland

• Foot/Bicycle: No Fee
• Vehicle: $25.00 – 7 Days
• Vehicle: $45.00 – Park Annual Pass, valid 1 year from purchase
• Motorcycle: $20.00 – 7 Days
• Individual: $15.00 – 7 Days (per person 16 years of age or older when entering by means other than a private, non-commercial vehicle, such as taxis and limousines providing transportation only; buses carrying passengers not on a pre-packaged tour such as school groups visiting for recreational purposes; and buses or vans registered to non-profit organizations such as churches or schools. A family traveling together shall pay no more than the vehicle fee.)
• Beach Parking fee upgrade: $20.00 – For visitors using the USFWS Migratory Waterfowl Duck Stamp as an entrance pass, valid July 1 – June 30 annually.

FREE PARK ENTRY DAYS

• January 17: Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.
• April 16: First day of National Park Week
• August 4: Anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act
• September 24: National Public Lands Day
• November 11: Veterans Day

Complete information on fees on the national seashore are here.  Whichever you choose, these park passes will get you into Chincoteague’s park at the southern end of Assateague Island.

Assateague State Park Fees

Day-use Admission Fees:
Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day- $5/person to 4pm
After Labor Day to Memorial Day weekend and after 4pm- $5/vehicle

Camping: (does not include transaction or other applicable fees)
Campsite: $27.50
Campsite with electric: $38.50

Boat Launch Charges:
$10/vehicle

The fees for the State Park can be found here.

Parking at Assateague Island

There is parking at both the national and state parks, close to the visitor centers. Make sure to lock up the vehicles and do not leave anything valuable in sight. Do not leave pets in locked and parked cars as the temperatures may approach dangerous levels for pets left unattended for extended periods of time.

Legend has it that when the Spanish explorers were sailing this part of the North American coast, there was a shipwreck and several of the Spanish ponies swam to the islands around Assateague and Chicoteague. This story adds to the allure and wonder of the region, but is apocryphal. Most likely, the ponies were originally owned by residents and developed into a separate feral herd in the 17th century . Read more here.

During any trip, expect to see several of the wild horses (as they are known on Assateague) or the wild ponies (made famous by Misty of Chincoteague) known for their patchwork coats and stubbly legs. Foals are born in the Spring and you can expect to see this frisky youth following their mothers around the island.  There is a fence along the island that separates the Maryland side of the island from the Virginia side, and this keeps two different herds of the ponies separate, ensuring healthy DNA populations of the equines.

In Virginia, the horses are owned by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department and in Maryland they are owned by the Park Service.  Each year, the members of the fire department known affectionately as “Assateague Cowboys” herd the ponies across the water on the last Wednesday of every July. These ponies are auctioned off and any not sold are returned to the island.

While Chincoteague is known for the ponies world-wide and they still host the annual pony swim and auction each July, the Maryland end of the island has just as many wild ponies and they are usually easier to see from your car.  They wander the marshes, beaches and roads, so please enjoy them, but do not touch or feed them.  Huge fines are levied and significant injuries have occurred from kicking and biting ponies.  They are wild — so please help keep it that way.

You can get more information by calling the office at (410) 641-3030. An overview of the different types of camping follow:

‘Assateague’ is an American Indian word that roughly translates to “a stream running between.” The great hurricane of 1933 that cut the Ocean City inlet also created the island that is now known as Assateague.   In 1950, a development was slated for a 15 mile stretch of Assateague Island on the Maryland side and a road, Baltimore Boulevard, was constructed to access the newly created lots. In 1962, a storm destroyed most of the existing buildings in the development and damaged most of the road or left it buried in sand.  By this time, Maryland supported the idea of creating a national seashore and introduced new legislation to protect the island and prevent the redevelopment, which was passed in 1964 and created the Assateague Island National Seashore. Coastal Living magazine has voted Assateague as one of the Top 10 National Seashores and Lakeshores and the State Park at the northernmost end of the island was designated by National Geographic in 1994 as one of the 10 best state parks in the nation. The United Nations designated Assateague as a World Biosphere Reserve and the U.S. Department of the Interior designated it a National Natural Landmark.

No road runs North to South along the entire expanse of the 37 mile island so you have to access the parks either through the Verrazzano Bridge at the north end or through Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge entrance on the south end. Now, the National Park Service, the US Fish & Wildlife Service and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources work together to help protect Assateague Island’s resources for public enjoyment.

Hiking/Biking on Assateague

Guided nature walks are available through the park’s visitor center. A park naturalist leads trips along the Assateague trails, giving interpretation on the flora, fauna and ecosystems of the island.  If you want to venture out on your own, free maps of the trails on the island are available at the visitor center. Check in with the ranger desk to find out about any current closures or recommendations. Be sure to bring a hat, gloves, sunscreen and extra water and food when heading out into some of the more remote trails of the island.

Horseback Riding on Assateague Island

There are several independent guiding companies that run horseback tours of the island. Imagine taking the time to mount up with horse guides, and riding through the island wilderness. These tours are booked in Ocean City, and make a wonderful way of seeing the island. Half-day, day and multi-day horse camping trips are available.  You can also bring your own horse for day riding. This is allowed during the cooler months when the threats of insect borne equine diseases is very low.

Fishing on Assateague Island

Surf fishing is allowed all year, but you must fish outside the guarded beach areas in season. You can also fish from the boat launch facility on the mainland side of the bridge. Fishing and clamming are allowed in the bays. A license may be required for some of your fishing activities. Please check the DNR Licensing & Registration Service for details on fishing licenses and the Maryland saltwater angler registry. Please refer to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Fishing Guide for state regulations on size of fish you can keep. You can download the guide here.

Tours on Assateague Island

You can enjoy a private day trip to the beach on Assateague Island OSV (“Over Sand Vehicle”) / off road with Assateague Island Tours. Escape the crowds and travel to a more remote location on Assateague Island National Seashore for a truly relaxing experience at the beach. Assateague Island Tours are the ONLY authorized business to provide guided tours to Assateague Island and onto the OSV. Their private tours operate seven days a week year-round, providing round trip transportation to Assateague Island.

Kayak and Canoe Tours/Rentals at Assateague Island

Like the horseback tours, there are guided sea tours that take you around parts of the island in sleek ocean-going kayaks. There are half-day, day, and multi-day trips available. Keep your eyes out on the water as well as the land, as dolphins and marine wildlife are frequently sighted during kayaking excursions. You can also rent boats across from the Visitor’s Center or from one of several local outfitters.

Surfing at Assateague Island

Assateague is known for some of the best swells in the region and can challenge the most seasoned surfer under the right conditions. If you don’t own your own surfboard, you can rent them and catch some waves around the islands and parks. Like most activities in the parks, check with rangers for any current closures or updates for surf, swells and currents and check out our Beach Safety page for more information.

Chincoteague Island

The southern end of Assateague Island spills into Virginia and is home to the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge and the famous wild ponies of Chincoteague. The ponies inhabit the marshes, wooded areas, and beaches of the entire island. These wild horses are descendants of those that were brought to the island in the late 17th Century. Some say they swam from a ship-wrecked Spanish galleon, more likely, they are the descendants of horses that locals let run loose on the island. Either way, they are beautiful and wild — a rarity in today’s heavily developed world.

Visit Assateague Island Today!

A trip to Assateague is not only fun, it is highly recommended as one of the most beautiful and interesting things you can plan while visiting Ocean City, Berlin or any of the surrounding areas. If you are planning on staying in one of the hotels or rentals in Ocean City, Assateague is an easy drive and should not be missed. Bring plenty of sunscreen and bug spray, and keep your camera or phones ready because the photo opportunities around this region are plentiful.

Worcester County Guides to the Area

Click here to check out guides to the area.