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Assateague Island, Maryland Travel Guide

Assateague Island is a great vacation spot! It's even great for just a weekend away from the house if you live nearby. It is just minutes away from Ocean City, where there is tons to do! But perhaps the most appealing aspect of the island is the wildlife.

Aside from the not so unusual deer, rabbits, squirrels, etc., the island has many wild HORSES! They are frequently on the road as soon as you cross the bridge to the island, and you'll even spot them on the beach from time to time. If you're lucky, you may see some dolphins playing not too far off in the distance while you're relaxing on the beach.

The island is divided into a state park and a national park. Both offer areas to play on the beach, and both have campgrounds. Camping in the state park will cost you $30 a night, while the national park is just $20 a night. There are campgrounds on both the ocean side and bay side of the national park. The ocean side campsites are great because you are literally just a sand dune away from the beach. The national park also offers an off road section (of the beach) that requires a permit.

The island is also very popular for bicycling and horse riding (not the wild horses of course).

If you're looking to spend some time outdoors, head to the waters for a little surf fishing or grab some friends and go camping. Assateague is a great, relaxing place to do it!

Assateague Island is not for the faint of heart, but rather for those true nature lovers who want to experience a life away from commercial beaches. As a barrier island, it is frequently a target of hurricanes and strong storms which change the landscape of the dunes and brush. The mosquitoes come out in full force in the summer, but proper tents and bug spray can prevent them from being a problem. The showers for the National Park are outdoors with no running hot water, so be prepared for an abrupt wake up!

In spite of these elements you may have to deal with, Assateague is well worth the effort. When you get a close up glimpse of a horse on the beach, a deer at your campsite, the variety of shorebirds , or watch a sunrise over the ocean as you're the last person on the beach you will understand. It's an experience that is completely unique and hard to find in today's populated and busy world.

At night the views of the Milky Way and other stars are spectacular since the campground is away from city lights.

On the bay side, there are hiking trails that take you through the marshes and dunes where you can watch the wildlife. There is also an area for crabbing and clamming.

Be sure not to feed the wild horses or any other wildlife since this causes them to hang around the main roads and puts them at risk for getting hit by cars. Food at campsites also should be sealed away at all times so that the horses cannot get to it, because they will try to come and steal a bite to eat if it's available!