How to Camp on Assateague Island

Assateague Island's annual pony auction is a popular family event.

Year-round camping opportunities await on Assateague Island. Based across three camping areas with hundreds of pitches, Assateague Island brings visitors to Maryland's fresh oceanside greenery every growing season. Miles of fresh beaches are on offer to visitors, and the island is a hot spot for anglers and birdwatchers.

Instructions

1. Investigate Assateague Island's climate to ascertain, along with your own scheduling, when is the best time for you to visit the island. Visit the island between June and September to take advantage of mean temperatures in excess of 70 degrees Fahrenheit, for example.

2. Choose which of Assateague Island's three camping areas you wish to stay at. Book your stay at the year-round National Park Service campsite or the April-November Assateague State Park Camping sites in advance to be sure of securing a pitch. Due to "sudden and severe changes in weather," Backcountry Camping pitches are not available for advanced booking.

3. Travel to Assateague Island on the first day of your booking. Take U.S. Highway 175 across to the southern or Virginia side of the island before traveling north if you are approaching Assateague Island from the south. Travel on U.S. Highway 50 and take a right onto route 611 at Ocean City if you are visiting Assateague Island from the west or north. Bring your camping equipment and any fishing, water sports or outdoor equipment that you wish to ring, as there is plenty of opportunity to access the ocean waters and camping space is ample.

4. Make the most of your trip to the island by taking advantage of the activities on offer to visitors. Take a hike through Assateague Island's walking areas, where you will see a great range of birds and other wildlife. Walk up any day and pay for a space on the Assateague Island cruise, which offers travelers a superlative view of the island's iconic lighthouse. Cast a line into the fresh North Atlantic coast waters, where fish including flounder, speckled trout, striped bass and gray trout await the keen anglers visiting Assateague Island.

Tips & Warnings

• If tent camping, bring extra-long stakes specifically designed for use in sand.

• On your way to the Island, purchase wood from the many local shops nearby if you want to have a campfire on the beach. This will help to stop the spread of the Emerald Ash Borer by bringing infected wood onto the Island.

• Expect to deal with mosquitoes and biting flies. Insect repellent is a must. Hats, lightweight pants and long-sleeved shirts help to protect your skin too.

• If visiting during the hotter months, bring some form of shade. Screened tents are fabulous, as not only do they protect you from the sun, but also from some insects.

• Most of the insects are found close to the vegetation in the campsites. If you are staying on the ocean side, plan to spend most of your time on the other side of the dunes where the winds from the ocean keep the insects away.

• The wild horses are notorious for eating any and all food left out in the open at campsites. Do not leave food unattended. Do not leave food in tents.

• Put all food in plastic storage containers. Push coolers and storage containers under the benches of the picnic table for added protection.

• Wild horses wander through campsites all the time. After a while they can become a nuisance. It's not uncommon to chase them away with loud claps.

• Do not approach the wild horses.

• Do not feed the wild horses.

• Wear sunscreen and sit in some shade to prevent sunburn.

• Because of the spread of the Emerald Ash Borer, do not bring firewood from home to Assateague Island.

References

• Assateauge Island: Camping Information
• Weather: Average Weather for Assateauge Island
• U.S. National Park Service: Backcountry Camping
• Assateague Island: Assateague Birdwatching
• Assateague Island: Assateague Lighthouse
• Assateague Island: Fishing Near Assateague Island