Assateague Island National Seashore

1) The wild ponies are a must see! They roam all over the island but you will often see them on or near the main road. The ponies on Assateague tend to move slowly and seem to enjoy attention so that makes for easy picture taking.

2) The views on bayside! Some of the views of nature on bayside can be breath taking. There are many small islands that dot the coast off Assateague. Couple that with a small coastal forest and a jagged coastline and you have the making for some striking vistas. You can often see the ponies along the edge of the island.

3) The nature trails are worth the walk. There are 3 nature trails that focus on some different aspects of the island. Each trail is 1/2 - 3/4 of a mile in length. The Life of the Dunes trail takes you through the dunes that occupy the island closer to the ocean side. This trail includes some of the history of the island before it became a park. The Life of the Forest trail takes you through a bayside forest and details the role the coastal forest plays in this setting. This trail includes a few nice vistas of the bayside. Lastly, there is the Life of the Marsh trail. This trail details the important role a marsh area plays in an eco system. This trail offers a beautiful view of the bay and has an overlook that also has steps leading down to a bayside beach area (this is not a beach to sun and play on but more to walk on). All three trails are interesting and worth the hike.

4) The beach. Assateague offers a beach that is much less crowded then what you might find at resorts such as Ocean City, MD or Rehoboth Beach, DE. In the warm season there is a portion of the beach that is guarded (lifeguard that is) and there is also a large unguarded (most of the beach) section. If you do intend to spend the day in the national park be sure to pack your cooler since there are no stores, concession stands or vending machines (there are concessions in the state park but, the beach tends to much more crowded. So if you would like to avoid the crowds and have a relaxing day at the beach you will do yourself a favor by spending the day at Assateagues beach.

5) Last but not least, The Offroad Section!! Unfortunately you will need to have a four wheel drive vehicle and a permit (starting at $90 for the year) to be able to use the offroad section. There are also other requirements that can be found on the parks website (http://www.nps.gov/asis/index.htm) or at the rangers station. The offroad section is 13 mile long ending at the Virginia state line. This section is limited to 150 vehicles so it is never crowded. Many people enjoy surf fishing and just setting up there own little section of beach to spend the day in the sand. You can ride right along the oceans edge and there are also a few trails that lead to bayside. It is often possible to get to a point where you can't see anyone else and it makes you feel like you have the whole island to yourself. It is a nice way to get away from everything and just relax on your own section of beach.

A word of caution, if you visit Assateague during mosquito season you will want to be sure to have some protection. The mosquitoes and green headed biting flies can be quite oppressive on the bayside of the island.