Assateague Island National Seashore

Assateague Island is a barrier island about 37 miles long and never more than a mile wide, lying off the Atlantic coast of Maryland and Virginia. Assateague Island National Seashore was authorised in 1965 and signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on 21 September that year.

The island is shared by three managers. The National Park Service runs the Maryland district, the US Fish and Wildlife Service manages the Virginia end as Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, and Maryland's Department of Natural Resources runs Assateague State Park. A fence at the state line separates the two horse herds.

The island is best known for its feral horses, often called ponies. The Maryland herd is managed as wildlife by the Park Service, which uses birth control to keep it at about 80 to 100 animals. The Virginia herd is owned by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company and swims across the channel to Chincoteague Island each July for the Pony Penning auction. Beyond the horses, the island has long undeveloped beaches, dunes, maritime forest and salt marshes rich in birds, crabs and other wildlife.

Visitors can swim, surf-fish, kayak in the bay, cycle and walk short nature trails. The Park Service runs oceanside and bayside campgrounds for tents and RVs plus backcountry camping areas for hikers and paddlers, booked through Recreation.gov. In 2025 the seashore recorded more than 2.3 million recreational visits.

A private vehicle pays $25 for seven days, and federal recreation passes are accepted. Keep at least the length of a bus away from the horses and never feed them, as they bite and kick. Mosquitoes and biting flies are heavy in summer, so bring repellent.

Over Sand Vehicle permits and beach camping

Four-wheel-drive vehicles can drive on designated stretches of beach in both districts with an Over Sand Vehicle permit, bought on Recreation.gov and collected at the Maryland ranger station or the Herbert H. Bateman Educational Center in Virginia. Numbers are limited, and drivers must carry recovery gear.

Backcountry camping permits for the sites reached by foot or canoe are issued at the Maryland ranger station. The Maryland district is reached via Route 611 from Berlin and Ocean City, while the Virginia end is reached through the town of Chincoteague. There is no road link along the island between the two.