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 Visit Ocean City's Next Door Neighbor: Assateague Island
Just minutes from Ocean City lies Assateague Island, a natural barrier island with magnificent marshlands, beautiful beaches and miles of water for endless recreational activities. The island is home to Assateague Island National Seashore, Assateague State Park and the wild horses made famous in the novel “Misty of Chincoteague.”
The name Assateague comes from a Native American word thought to mean “the marshy place across.” If you are an outdoor enthusiast, the island is ideal for camping, hiking, biking, fishing, clamming, crabbing, canoeing and kayaking.
Directions: From Ocean City, cross the Rt. 50 bridge heading west. At the third traffic light, turn left onto Rt. 611 South. Signs will direct you to Assateague Island National Seashore and the popular Barrier Island Visitor Center. It is approximately 7 miles from the Ocean City bridge.
The Horses of Assateague
The herd of wild horses is one of the unique treasures of Assateague Island. The small horses wander the beaches, roadways, campgrounds and marsh areas of the island. There are two separate herds on the 37-mile-long island separated by a fence at the Maryland-Virginia state line.
Legend has it that sometime in the 1600s, a Spanish galleon was shipwrecked off the coast. Aboard the ship was a load of horses and when the ship went down, many of the horses swam ashore to Assateague. While no proof has yet been found to support the story, historians do know that horses have been on the island for at least three centuries. Many were placed there by mainland farmers who sought free pasturage while avoiding livestock taxes and the expense of fences.
Today, these horses live in the wild, adapting to their environment by eating scrub brush, dune and marsh grasses and drinking fresh water from natural ponds. Feeding and petting horses is prohibited. While they appear tame, they can be unpredictable and may bite or kick. Feeding the animals encourages them to hang around roads where they can be struck by vehicles.
Other animals found on the island include Sika deer, otter, fox, muskrat, raccoon and more - at least 44 species of mammals and 260 species of birds including the brown pelican, piping plover, herons, egrets and bitterns.
Pony Swim:
Each year on the last Wednesday and Thursday of July on the southern end of the island at Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, the volunteer firemen of Chincoteague carry out the annual “pony swim.” On Wednesday, the Virginia herd is rounded up and swum across the shallow bay at slack tide to the island of Chincoteague. They are taken to the Firemen’s Carnival Grounds for a night of rest. The next morning an auction takes place and a number of horses are sold to qualified buyers. This keeps the herd size down to a reasonable number. The next day the rest of the horses swim back across the shallows to Assateague.
Discover the Island by Car
Begin your Maryland visit to Assateague Island National Seashore in the family-oriented Barrier Island Visitor Center, located at the end of Rt. 611, just prior to crossing the bridge to Assateague. Pick up a park map, enjoy the aquariums, or watch a film about the island.
Cross the bridge to Assateague and explore the barrier island. Short, self-guided walks are available. Longer hikes are available north to the Ocean City Inlet from Assateague State Park’s beach parking lot, or south along the off-road vehicle zone. An entrance fee of $15 per vehicle (good for seven days) is charged to go into the National Seashore.
Fishing, Clamming and Crabbing
A license is not required for surf fishing along Assateague’s coast. Surf fishing is permitted on the beach except on beach patrol-guarded beaches, and in designated surfing zones. Assateague’s bayside offers opportunities for clamming and crabbing.
Enjoying Time on the Water
Bring your own car-top boat or rent a canoe at the Bayside Picnic Area (daily during summer and on spring or fall weekends). Car-top boats can be launched at Old Ferry Landing or the Bayside Picnic Area. Bay waters off Assateague are ideal for small boats, sailing and canoeing. Larger boats should use the mainland public ramps in West Ocean City, at the end of South Point Road or the Assateague State Park facility by the bridge.
Bicycling on Assateague
Take a relaxing bike ride through Assateague Island or try a longer excursion from Ocean City to the island. Near the Assateague visitor center is a new bridge just for cyclists and walkers to cross the bay onto the island, where a 3-1/2 mile bike route continues. The more adventurous cyclist may appreciate the 9-mile trek from Ocean City’s inlet area following Rt. 50 west to Rt. 611, then south to Assateague.
Traveling on the Beach ORV Route
Vehicles meeting certain requirements and displaying an Off Road Vehicle Permit may drive the Over sand Vehicle Route along 13 miles of Assateague’s beach area. Permits may be obtained for a $90 fee, good for one year, from the campground ranger station. With a three-week lead time, they can also be obtained by mail. Write to: Assateague Island National Seashore, 7206 National Seashore Lane, Berlin, MD 21811. An ORV application can also be obtained by calling the ranger station at 410-641-3030.
More information about Assateague Island can also be obtained by visiting www.nps.gov/asis/.
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