Assateague Island National Seashore is a 37 miles long barrier island located in Maryland and Virginia. The island is home to several species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and more. Although the main attraction are the wild horses that roam the island.
The horses have been on Assateague for 300 years, and there are two versions of how they arrived. The first one says that they survived a ship wreck off the cost of Virginia, and the second one that they arrived with early colonial settlers.
Since my first camping trip to Assateague Island in 2016 it has become one of my places to go around home during the warm months. Probably because I got the opportunity to wake up and have breakfast surrounded by wild ponies, surf with dolphins around, watch beautiful sunrises and sunsets. The island is true gateway on the eastern shore of U.S.
Sunset at Assateague
Campground
Is open year round but reservations are required from March 15 through November 15. Reservations are available six months in advance and the price per night is $30. Each site has a picnic table, a fire ring, and a parking for two cars or an RV. Bathrooms are big and clean, and have showers with hot water and chemical toilets. There is also a family room.
If the campground is full for your desired date don’t lose hope and check regularly. People cancel and sites become available.
For reservations visit the Maryland Parks website or call the Toll-free reservation line: 1-877-444-677.
What to Pack
Below I listed the things you may not know you should bring.
- Mosquito and tick repellent – It is mosquitoes’ land after sunset.
- Beach umbrella – There is no shade at the beach or in the campsites.
- Sunscreen is obvious but if you are like me, that always forget it. Here is another reminder.
- BBQ – fire rings have a grill that you can cover with aluminium foil and use it to cook but much of them are missing.
- Long pants and sweater or hoodie – I got two reasons why you should bring this items. One, sometimes it gets a little chilly at night. And two, to cover from the mosquitoes.
- Long stakes – some days it gets quite windy.
- Screen tent is good for protection from the sun, mosquitos, and the birds (believe me, they will steal your food in a heartbeat).
Assateague Island Sunrise
Things to do
Bicycle – With little traffic and low maximum speed it is fairly safe to ride bicycle with your children.
Surf – Waves in Assateague can be fun and you can find them pretty much everywhere on the Atlantic side. The sandy bottom makes it a good spot for beginners. If you forgot the surfboard or don’t have one. For $26.00 you can rent one in Assateague Island Surf Shop from 08:00am till 06:00pm.
Kayaking & Paddleboarding – The tranquil waters of the bay side make Assateague Island an excellent place to do kayaking and paddleboarding. As a bonus, you may see the ponies enjoying the water.
Watch the sunrise – there is nothing more relaxing than being on the sand listening to the chants of the waves and watching the rose pink light of the dawn with the dolphins passing by.
Fishing & Surf Fishing – are popular activities in the island.
Shell Collecting – at certain times of the year there are thousands of shells along the shore.
What’s around
There is a lot going on around Assateague Island during summer. I am sure you will find something exciting for each member of your family.
Ocean City is one of the biggest destination in the eastern seaboard during summer. I will cover it in more depth on another post but to give guys an idea, here are some of the things that Ocean City has to offer. The boardwalk, which is three miles long you can find restaurants, hotels, breweries, arcade games, surf shops, souvenir shops, and even an amusement park.
In the area there is also a water park, loads of miniature golf courses, beach volleyball courts, waterfront bars (on the bay side), and more. The bay side is perfect for paddle boarding, kayaking, and Jet-skiing.
Frontier Town Campground – Is a western theme park with campground, water park, mini golf, and zip line. Excellent place for children.
Sky Diving – If you are looking for a more intense experience, then what is better than jumping out of a plane.
Distance from major cities
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – 3:00 hours.
- Washington D.C. – 2:30 hours.
- Virginia Beach, VA – 2:10 hours.
- New York, NY – 5:30 hours.
When to go / Weather
High season in Assateague island is from mid May until September. Weather wise you are good to go in either of those months. But if you like to get in the water I recommend you to go in August or September. During May and June the water is still quite cold which sometimes is not a bad thing. What a better way to cool down after playing frisbee, football, futbol, volleyball, or spike ball than with a dip in cold water.
The Average temperatures for high season are:
May – low 53F – high 71F
June – low 63F – high 81F
July & August- low 68F – high 85F
September – low 63F – high 80F
Surfer’s Wetsuit Guide
Because there is nothing more worse than staying on the shore watching others ride perfect waves, here is a quick wetsuit guide to stay warm in the water.
May – 3/2 MM Full wetsuit
June – 2/2 MM Full or Spring wetsuit
July / Aug / Sep – 2 MM top or 1 MM top
Sunrise in Assateague Island
Tips
- Always keep the food in your car, even if you have plastic bins. I heard the horses have broken tents trying to get food.
- Watch out for the birds when preparing your meals, they will eat anything at their sight.
- Want to wake up with ponies around you? Reserve between section C or D. I don’t guarantee anything but it seems like they have their own routine which includes eating around this area early in the morning.
- The entrance to the camping area is on Campground Rd which is the first right after the “Welcome to Assateague Island” sign.
- Check in is at 2:00 pm but if you get there earlier that is no problem you can still enjoy the beach. Just go to the guard’s stand to get the vehicle pass to the campground which will allow you to park at the general parking lot at no cost.
And… that’s it.
I hope this guide help you have a great time in Assateague Island. And if you have any tips that I should add, let me know in the comments.
Thanks for reading
j ⋀⋁ i e r ✧ ☽
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