“Except maybe into heavy wind at the Boundary Waters Wilderness in Minnesota, and my front paddler was 8 years old.”Īmong the trees and out of the wind, we pitched tents and started a small fire. “I think that was the hardest paddle of my life,” observed our leader, Jeff, an experienced backcountry canoer. He paused. In addition to the drive-in sites, Assateague has four backcountry camping sites for those who want to backpack in or, in our case, paddle-which brings us back to that wind and salt spray.Īfter nearly 4 hours of hard paddling, we could finally pull our watercraft out at the Pine Tree backcountry camping site. The Virginia section is a delightful day trip from the town of Chincoteague with easy beach access and numerous biking and hiking trails. After an easy day of riding bikes along the Wildlife Loop, bird watching and hiking, you could enjoy dinner at Chincoteague mainstay Bill’s Prime Seafood & Steaks. Spending the night, visitors can walk to most places in town and enjoy the waterfront bayside views.īut if you want to spend the night on Assateague Island itself, you’ll be doing it in the Maryland section, which permits overnight camping. With reservations required between March and November, visitors can pull up a car or camper or even travel via horseback (bring your own horse) to various campsite locations. If you like the idea of pitching a tent near the ocean and falling asleep to the waves, this is your place. If you really want to get away from it all, both sections offer Overs Sand Vehicle permits for driving in designated areas along the beach. You’ll find visitors surf fishing, hiking, bird watching and even crabbing. Whatever jurisdiction you find yourself under, Assateague Island consistently presents a wild feeling as you ascend the modest sand dunes and suddenly the silvery Atlantic Ocean is filling your gaze, with seagulls and sandpipers whirling around you, civilization seeming to have disappeared. The Route 611 bridge over the bay leads you to Assateague Island National Seashore. But, take care not to confuse the National Seashore section with Maryland’s separate Assateague State Park located on the far northern tip of the island. In Virginia, access to Assateague Island is via the pleasing town of Chincoteague, but the actual island section is called Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge.Īs for Maryland, the labeling is a little more straightforward. Virginia and Maryland share the island, and each state has a single point of access via a bridge. The nomenclature, however, can be a little confusing at first. Separated from the mainland by Chincoteague Bay, Assateague Island is a secluded world of waves, wind and waterfowl. And, of course, ponies. Hundreds of them. Assateague is a 37-mile-long island section of the skinny barrier island chain tracing the Mid-Atlantic Coast in fits and starts.
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