Over 1 million visitors come to Assateague each year, including the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge located in the Virginia district of Assateague Island. Popular Activities include bicycling, walking the beach, swimming, surfing, wildlife viewing, birding, crabbing, fishing and kayaking. Today, Assateague Island serves as a public land where visitors can come to relax, recreate and immerse themselves in the tremendous resource. To this day you can stand on the tip of either island and view the other from across the inlet. Taking advantage of this new opening, the inlet was fortified to keep it open, allowing passage from the ocean to the bay. A storm in August of 1933 ripped through the long island opening an inlet between the southern end of Ocean City and the new Assateague. At one time Assateague was not an island, but rather was connected to Fenwick Island. With 48,000 acres, it remains one of the largest mid-Atlantic barrier islands to have a continuum of intact coastal habitats - with very little human interference.Īssateague Island became dedicated as a National Seashore on September 21, 1965. The Maryland herd roams freely in part of Assateague Island National Seashore. For the purpose of protecting and developing Assateague Island in the States of Maryland and Virginia and certain adjacent waters and small marsh islands. Two herds of wild horses inhabit the island. The terrain is a mix of sand dunes, maritime forests and salt marshes, and is just a couple miles wide at its broadest section. In the middle of the East Coast, Assateague Island is an exhilarating, uniquely preserved stretch of coastal wilderness along the Atlantic seaboard. Assateague is a 37-mile long barrier island on the Atlantic Coast of Maryland and Virginia. This barrier island is a constantly shifting ribbon of sand which is altered daily by powerful wind and waves. The Refuge is home to a remarkable variety of migratory birds, plants, and other animals. Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge includes more than 14,000 acres of beach, maritime forest, saltmarsh, and freshwater marsh. A short bridge connects Chincoteague Island to Assateague Island.

The Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge (CNWR) is located at the southern end of Assateague Island. There is a 24-hour front desk at the property.

Hotel in Chincoteague (13.9 miles from Assateague Island National Seashore) Hampton Inn & Suites in Chincoteague, VA offers waterfront accommodations. The entire Island is a wildlife sanctuary, protected from development. Hampton Inn & Suites Chincoteague-Waterfront, Va.

Assateague Island is approximately 38 miles long. Assateague Island is a beautiful barrier island which lies to the east of Chincoteague Island. Assateague Island National Seashore Bayside Campground: Jump to Events Facilities/Services Policies Rates Recreation Rental Units Reviews Sites Weather Forecast : Overview: Location Address: Berlin, Maryland 21811 GPS: 38.206676, -75.

Assateague island national seashore