I have to admit it, I'm kind of a horse nut... or at least I used to be. I grew up riding and my ex-husband and I briefly owned an Icelandic horse farm in Ohio, so the idea of riding my bike among wild horses was intriguing. (Camping on the beach made the opportunity even more irresistible.)
If you're planning a trip to Assateaque, however, the first thing you need to know is that camping is only available on the Maryland side, so make sure your GPS picks up the right entrance! (Yes, I drove straight to the VA entrance only to be told that I'd past the campground an hour ago.) Since I was already there and too frustrated to retrace my steps, I decided to pay the entrance fee and explore the area.
Honestly, the Virginia side of Assateaque isn't all that exciting. (At least it wasn't for me - but again, I was looking for wild ponies, not family picnics.)
The VA side does contain a few short nature trails and the Assateague Light, a 142-foot-tall (43 m) lighthouse located on the southern end of the Island. The lighthouse was originally build in 1833 and replaced in 1868. It is open to the public on weekends from April to Nov. but check with the park for current hours and availability.
And a word to the wise in VA: the bugs during the summer are INTENSE here! (biting flies, misquotes, etc.). Be prepared - even this short walk can quickly become an itchy nightmare. (Don't ask me how I know this!) I'm typically not a fan of DEET but for this trek in June or July, I highly recommend it.
The VA side also has a huge, fairly crowded, beach area with ample parking, bathrooms, snacks, etc. The place is relatively pretty and clean, but it's basically a nice public beach full of people during the summer months. In general, it seems safe to say that the VA side of the island is far more commercialized than its Maryland counterpart.
That said, to spite being exhausted when I finally arrived at my destination, the MD side of Assateaque is everything it's promised to be. I'd arrived late and was unable to get a campsite with hookups, yet I did secure an oceanfront walk-in tent site for $30.00 a night. (Not this does not include the required $15-20 admission fee to the island itself. )
The site (#89) was a bit of a walk from the van, but relatively private (at least better than some), and oceanfront on the other side of the dune / brush. (Sorry I didn't get a good picture.) All sites are set back a safe distance from the water and have fire rings and picnic tables. Most had other campsites visible in at least 2, if not 3, directions.
It was a short walk in almost any direction to find outdoor showers, private pit toilets, water fountains and trash cans. (This fact often lead people to walk right across your campsite.) The RV sites were a little better in terms of privacy, as people tended to leave their camper and walk down the road - rather than directly across the sand in front of you. There also seemed to be less music and beach volley ball type activities up around the RV's.
As for the biking and wild pony encounters - neither required much effort. Assateaque felt incredibly safe and the bike / walking trails are flat, wide and smoothly paved. In fact, the only hill around was the bridge over the island, which although rather long and arduous, I was determined to cross for no reason at all. Though I rode about 20 miles, I'd retraced my steps multiple times and would guess the actual trail system here to be about 4 miles paved with several 1/2 to 1 mile side loops.
As for the horses themselves... they are most certainly abundant! They are also anything but wild. Free range - absolutely! But wild, not so much. They clearly had no fear of humans and felt no shame in blocking or defecting in your path.
Overall, a great trip and something I'd always wanted to do has been crossed off my bucket list! So yay for that! :)
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