Assateague Island National Seashore Campground

Overview

Assateague Island National Seashore is a 37-mile long barrier island on the Atlantic Coast of Maryland and Virginia. Famed for its wild horses, this barrier island is a constantly shifting ribbon of sand, altered daily by powerful wind and waves. Assateague Island, dedicated as a National Seashore on September 1, 1965, lays claim to a long and rich history. Today's visitors can explore sandy beaches, salt marshes, maritime forests, and coastal bays. Only a couple of miles wide at its broadest point, the island's terrain offers shelter to the famed wild horses as well as sika deer, ghost crabs, and migrating birds such as the great blue heron and snowy egret. Favorite recreational activites include fishing, surfing, beachcombing, swimming, and sunbathing.

The Over-Sand Vehicle (OSV) Zone at Assateague Island contains miles of unspoiled beaches managed by the National Park Service to accommodate OSV enthusiasts and other beach goers.

The Assateague Island National Seashore, Assateague State Park, and the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge work together to manage and protect this unique, diverse strip of land.

For more information visit the Assateague Island National Seashore website .

Recreation

Activities are abundant on the island, with both crabbing and clamming as well as a long stretch of beach for swimming, kayaking and fishing.

Facilities

The campground is open year-round. Advance reservations are available up to 6 months in advance during the following dates:

Oceanside Group sites : Year-round.

Bayside Individual sites : Year-round.

Equestrian Non-electric sites : From October 16 through April 15 each year (closed April 16 - October 15).

Oceanside Individual sites : From March 15 through November 15 each year (first come first serve only, November 16 - March 14).

Amenities include vault toilets, drinking water, and unheated showers (March 15 - November 15 only) for rinsing off sand. Water in the campground is available when temperatures are above freezing, and year round at the dump stations.

The island can be accessed from the northern route in Maryland or the southern route in Virginia, but there is no through road from one end of the island to the other. Access to both Maryland and Virginia entrances are reached by bridge over mainland routes.

Natural Features

Assateague Island, famed for its wild horses, lies off the Delmarva Peninsula on the Atlantic Coast. This barrier island is a constantly shifting ribbon of sand, altered daily by powerful wind and waves.

The Assateague Island National Seashore, Assateague State Park, and the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge each manage and protect this unique, diverse strip of land.

For more information visit the Assateague Island National Seashore website .

Nearby Attractions

Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge offers a 14,000-acre wildlife preserve located at the southern end of Assateague Island. To the north, Assateague State Park features two miles of pristine ocean beaches. Ocean City, Maryland is only about 10 miles away with a 2.5 mile long boardwalk filled with shops, restaurants, and a wide variety of entertainment options. The historic town of Berlin is about 10 miles west of Assateague, offering many shops and restaurants.

What people do here

• beachcombing
• biking
• birding
• camping
• canoeing
• clam digging
• crabbing
• fishing
• hiking
• interpretive programs
• kayaking
• surfing
• swimming
• wild horse viewing
• windsurfing