Visited: 5 - 8 November 2024
Nights Stayed: 3
Assateague Island National Seashore is located along the Atlantic Ocean in Maryland and Virginia. The 37 mile(60 km) long barrier island has over 41,300 acres of land and water within it's boundaries. The island was founded as a National Seashore in September 1965 and is divided into three areas, Assateague Island NS is managed by the National Parks Service, Assateague State Park is managed by Maryland Parks Service, and Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge is managed by US Fish and Wildlife Service. There is no vehicle access between the Maryland and Virginia districts on the national seashore.
The Maryland side is where we camped for three nights. The park is open year round and includes a total of 148 campsites all with no hookups. We came prepared with a generator and our camper has a solar panel.
The main goal of coming to the island was to see the wild horses of Assateague Island. These horses are feral animals and are managed as a wildlife population. They have survived the scorching summer heat, brutal wintery storms, horrible mosquitoes, and poor food quality. Where did these horses come from, well there are no known records. Two stories exist, one they are the survivors of a shipwreck off the coast and the second they are the descendants of horses that were brought to Assateague in the late 17th century by mainland owners to avoid laws and taxation on livestock. Which ever one is true they are here to stay.
The horses roam the pine forests, salt marshes, and the beaches of Assateague Island. However, a fence divides the two herds at the Maryland and Virginia state line. The Maryland horses with a population of 80-100 are managed by the National Park Service and are free to roam. While the Virginia herd is owned and managed by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company with a population of 150 animals. They are corralled in a 14,000 acre pen.
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| Our campsite |
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| On the Maryland side the horses are free to roam throughout the campground |
Travelling around the island one does not have to look very far to see how harsh it can be. The salt marshes, wind, and lack of grasses possess difficult living conditions. However, other wildlife also survive on this island.
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| I rescued this little guy from being hit by vehicles |
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| Sitka Deer |
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| Visitors Center at Chincoteague - Virginia |
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| The Assateague Lighthouse circa 1867 |
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| Corralled horses on Chincoteague |
More horses of Assateague Island...I never got tired of watching and photographing them.
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| A horse traffic jam...it's all about them not us |
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