Assateague Island National Seashore

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Assateague Island National Seashore
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Assateague Island National Seashore is located close to Chincoteague Island, Virginia and Ocean City, Maryland and contains over 37 miles of pristine beach. More than 300 wild ponies wander the beaches, inland pine forest, and salt marshes. Assateague became a National Park in 1965 and together with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Refuge and State Park, the land and water boundaries of Assateague Island total over 48,000 acres in Maryland and Virginia.

Assateague ponies
Assateague Pony Watching Tours

Assateague Island is a vital resting and feeding area for a large variety of birds. The Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge is located on Assateague Island and is one of the most popular birding destinations in the United States. Assateague birdwatchers enjoy the island's wealth of over 300 species of migratory and resident birds. Assateague is an essential part of the Atlantic flyway and is prime habitat for thousands of waterfowl and other birds with migrational instincts that carry them north and south annually.

Visitors can explore Assateague if they walk or bicycle it's extensive nature trails or join a popular "marine eco-tour" which offers them a chance to see more of the refuge and its wildlife by boat. An eco voyage is often the best way to encounter peregrine falcons, sandpipers, egrets, osprey, terns, gulls, waterfowl, marine-life, and (especially) wild ponies. Wild ponies and other wildlife are often encountered when visitors travel by boat along the extensive inland waters of Assateague Island.

Some people believe that the wild ponies of Assateague arrived on Assateague Island when a Spanish galleon cargo ship (with a cargo of horses) sank off the coast and the horses swam to shore. Others believe the wild horses arrived there via early colonial settlers. Recently in 1997, a Spanish shipwreck was discovered off Assateague Island, which lends credit to the first theory. In any event, the ponies have become well adapted to the seashore ecosystem where they feed on saltmarsh cordgrass, dune grasses, bayberry twigs, rosehips, and persimmons.

Many recreational opportunities on Assateague Island exist, including four wheel driving on the beach, seashell collecting along seldom traveled sands, clamming, swimming, surf fishing, beach hiking and more. Ocean City, Maryland is only 1/4 mile away from Assateague Island (20 minutes drive by car) . Ocean City has lodging, restaurants, fishing & beach supplies, and many activities to add to your vacation.

After a few days visiting Assateague Maryland and Ocean City, you may wish to drive one hour south to the Virginia end of Assateague Island and visit it's unspoiled beaches and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Refuge. On your way, you will go through the town of Chincoteague Island (home of the pony swim). Chincoteague is known for its great view of the Assateague Lighthouse. Chincoteague has lodging, seafood, sportfishing, fantastic bird watching and marine eco-tourism - the latter due to its close proximity to Assateague and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Refuge there.

A visit to Assateague is an experience you will treasure for many years. Recreational opportunities and nearby places to stay and eat at Ocean City, M.D. and Chincoteague Island, V.A. help make Assateague Island a place worth visiting.

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