Assateague Island National Seashore — Maryland
Ocean beach, dunes, bayside marsh, and free-roaming horses reveal the shifting edges of Maryland’s Atlantic barrier island.
Artwork inspired by John Ross Key
Assateague is a landscape built to move. Wind, waves, and storms redistribute sand, while dunes, maritime vegetation, and sheltered bayside marsh occupy different positions in that restless system. The Maryland district offers a chance to see both ocean and bay within one outing, rather than treating the island only as a place to sit on the beach.
The horses are conspicuous residents, but their presence should not eclipse the island’s shorebirds, plants, and changing shoreline. Watch them from a distance and leave their routes unobstructed. Start at the mainland visitor center for orientation, then cross the bridge with a clear choice of beach or bayside stops; the national seashore and neighboring state park have separate entrances and fees.
- Landscape
- Atlantic barrier island
- Arrival
- Mainland visitor center
- District
- Maryland national seashore
Quick guide
- Choose both shores
- Pair an ocean stop with a bayside marsh walk.
- Give horses room
- Use binoculars and keep food secured.
Know before you go
- Read the dunes
- Notice how grasses catch sand and help build low ridges.
- Watch the tide
- Bay water levels change feeding opportunities for shoreline birds.
- Keep food contained
- Horses can open or investigate unattended food containers.
- Check beach conditions
- Surf, storms, and seasonal operations affect swimming and access.
Good to know
There is no road linking the Maryland and Virginia ends of the island. A visit to Chincoteague requires a mainland drive, not a drive down the beach.
Notice these
- Dune grass holding sand
- Ocean-to-bay habitat changes
- Horses at natural distance