Assateague Island- an Introduction



Looking south from Ocean City's Pier, a fishing spot jutting from the chaos near Trimper's Rides and Ripley's Believe it or Not! at the south end of town, a different world lies just across the inlet: Assateague Island.  A barrier island targeted for development in the post-War era, the Ash Wednesday storm of 1962 put an end to those plans, and the already extant state park became a part of a nature preserve that is one of the largest seaside parks on the Atlantic coast.

Assateague Island is most famous for its feral horses, divided by a fence into two herds at the state line.  The more famous Chincoteague “ponies” of Virginia are herded across the water each year to the island of the same name, where the local fire department holds an auction for the healthiest of them as an annual fundraiser.  The Maryland herd is treated as wildlife, and artificial birth control is used to manage its size.  Because of their limited diet on the Island, the auctioned horses are taken in and given better nourishment to improve their overall health before being sold.

At 37 miles long, the administration of the Island is complicated.  Assateague Island National Seashore runs the length of the Island, though a portion of the Maryland side is a campground under state park supervision.  The bulk of the land on the Virginia side, Chincoteague National Wildlife Preserve, is under the management of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The Maryland side is accessible only by the Verrazano Bridge (yes, really) at the end of MD 611, which leads first to the State Park.  Well developed as a camping area, day-trippers and activity seekers should travel further south to the National Seashore area, where the camping areas are supplemented with drive-in beach facilities, kayaking, and nature trails.  The paved access to Assateague ends about three miles into the park, and vehicle access is by permit only from there to the Virginia state line.  On Virginia side of the park, access is from Chincoteague Island, and like the northern end of the park, vehicle access towards the state line is limited.

My own visits have been to the Maryland side of the park.  Mornings typically begin at Assateague Outfitters, where you can rent a kayak, canoe, paddleboard, bike, or even a clam rake.  Don’t laugh.  Situated on the Sinepuxent Bay, it’s a long walk into shallow water, and clamming is not only possible but part of the local economy.  In the past, I have observed many folks a couple of hundred yards out clamming, while I paddle my way towards deeper waters.  Kayaking “bayside” is available throughout Delmarva, but this is one of my favorite areas.  There are lots of shallow marshes and areas to explore. Waterfowl is more plentiful.  Perhaps most importantly, I can’t recall any shark sightings in these waters, unlike the bays further north in Ocean City.  Although I’ve always explored the area alone, guided kayak tours are available.

There are three short public trails on the Maryland side, each themed to the wildlife of the Island: “Life of the Marsh,” “Life the Forest,” and “Life of the Dunes.”  The Virginia side has a number of short trails, along with the 7 ½ mile service road that is open to hikers.  Of course, hiking along the beach is always an option.

Visiting in the summer, it is advisable to bring lots of water and beware of the heat.  The beach offers a welcome respite.  Even at the height of summer travel, the beach is refreshingly uncrowded compared to the metropolis just to the north.  Clean, guarded beaches are interrupted only by occasional “evidence” of the local horse population, but it isn’t too much of a distraction.  While the water is no different from Ocean City, you have a good bit more of it to yourself, and are free to walk a great distance for however much beach property you feel you need. 

The focus around Assateague will almost always be the small horses that are the Island’s permanent residents.  As wild animals, you can’t get too close, but they add a beauty to the landscape that is unique in the region.   Enjoy their company as you take in one of the Mid-Atlantic's most interesting national parks.

Assateague Island National Seashore
Open year-round; times vary according to location and facility

 © 2017 Randall Stewart




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Book Review Hillbilly Elegy  by J.D. Vance Harper Collins, 2016  264 pages $27.95 A New York Times best-seller, Vance’s book, written in advance of the 2016 election, is a memoir of his own experiences growing up as a “hillbilly” in Ohio. In many ways essential reading for our time, it is a world I recognize, though thankfully was not a part of. Vance’s recollection of family dysfunction, substance abuse, and economic struggle on his course to Yale Law is ultimately an uplifting story and a much needed window into the working classes. At the same time, it is not without fault. As Vance concedes early, most of his life was spent between Cincinnati and Dayton, in Middletown, Ohio. His family was one of the millions that left for industrial jobs in factories; the “hillbilly” connection is through his parents and grandparents, who came to Ohio from Jackson County, Kentucky after World War II. His connection to Jackson is a place of the family homestead, of long sum...
Read more

A Delmarva Paddle Guide

Image
  Delmarva is a kayaking paradise, with hundreds of miles of fresh, brackish, and salt water trails available to explore. Beginning at Cambridge,  Blackwater Adventures  offers kayak rentals at the Hyatt Chesapeake Bay resort and, further inland, at the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge.  The wildlife sighting possibilities at both locations are rich, including the osprey nest above. Call ahead to check reservations at the Blackwater site, which is relatively remote.  If you have your own Kayak, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has  paddle trails  and interactive maps available on their website.   The beaches of Delaware and Maryland have numerous kayaking opportunities.   Coastal Kayak  is located across Delaware Highway 1 from Delaware Beaches State Park, and offers opportunities for exploration in the Little Assawoman Bay.  Further south, the 67th Street Paddle Cove , Odyssea Waterpsorts , and  48th Street Wate...
Read more

The Church Series: Old Trinity, Church Creek

Image
Living history in an historic church. South entrance and east chancel of Old Trinity, Church Creek An off-the-main-road stop on the way to the beach, Old Trinity Church ranks as one of the oldest sacred spaces in use in the United States.  (It is most likely the oldest east of the Mississippi.)  Built around 1675, it has endured to house a living congregation to the present day. According to the parish website , the church was restored to its 17th century appearance from 1953-1960.  At that time the Victorian renovation a century prior was undone; the original floors were discovered and repaired, walls reinforce, and new box pews and a pulpit were created from 200 year old heart of pine wood.  While a recreation of the original, it is stunningly beautiful in conception and liturgical use. Approaching the church, one walks from the parking area near the parish house through-centuries old graves.  These include Anna Ella Carroll,  reputedly one o...
Read more