Assateague is located on a barrier island off the coast of Maryland and Virginia. The island is known for the wild horses, but they also have deer and I even saw a turkey. Additionally, water fowl are in the area that you would see at any beach. As a barrier island the ocean is on one side and the bay is on the other. The National Seashore is in conjunction with the State Park of Maryland sharing the same bridge to the island. The horses on the island are dependents of domesticated animals brought to the island over 300 years ago. The horses are small, pony size, as they don’t get the same nutrition as domesticated horses get in todays world. The horses live their lives with veterinary care unless they are gravely ill, seriously injured or are dying. The NPS and Maryland Park System do not provide wellness care for the horses. Horses that are sick and weak do not survive the harsh climate on Assateague. The horses in Virginia, Chincoteague, are managed by the Cincoteague Volunteer Fire Department and they do receive minimal veterinary care. The Virginia horses are also rounded up each July on the last Wednesday of the month to cross to the “mainland” and are sold, proceeds going to the CVFD. The selling of the foals each year keeps the number of horses at or below the 150 adults that are allowed by the grazing permit. The NPS keeps the horse level and DNA in check by delivering a non-hormonal vaccine to prevent pregnancy. The female horse is given a shot by a dart gun in the hind quarters and this will prevent her from becoming pregnant. The NPS allows each female to have a foal protecting the DNA of the animals. The horses are able to roam freely around the park so you can see them at your campsite, on the beach, or just feeding on grass along the side of the road. The horses will bite, and kick if feel threatened so please do not approach. When coming to Assateague know that there are horse flys and mosquitoes that are everywhere so bring heavy duty bug spray. The beaches were closed prior to me arriving at the island due to WWII ordinances being washed up/exposed on shore. The island was a training area during WWII for shooting of ordinances. Lucky for me I did not see any and the beach was open for full use. The beach parking areas are plentiful and offer vault toilets and outdoor showers to rinse the sand off before getting into the car. If you wish to drive on the sand the park offers an area called Over Sand Vehicle (OSV) Zone. Get a permit from the Campground office just inside the park entrance on the right and enjoy your time driving on the beach. Hiking is very limited on the island with only a few nature trails. These trails are short in length and offer you a bit of exercise, although I choose to hang on the beach.
Bayside Campground – The campground as the name would suggest is on the bay side of the island and off of Bayside Drive. The bay side has 3 loops and two entrances. The first entrance is for loop A and the second is for loops B and C. The campground has virtually no shade so bring your own or do without shade while camping. The campground offers vault toilets but has cold showers to “rinse” the sand off of you. You can take a full shower just be aware that pushing the “button” for water is needed many times. The sites all have a picnic table and fire ring. You are able to walk to the beach, about .75 of a mile but you can also drive as there is usually ample parking. Note: Firewood is available on the way into the park on the various road and it seems inexpensive as you get 10 pieces of wood for $5.00.
Oceanside Campground – As the name suggests this campground is ocean side. I did not stay at this campground but know that it has no shade. The vault toilets and showers are the same here as Bayside. The main difference is you can walk to the beach easily from this campground.