Things to do nearAssateague Island National Seashore

Assateague Island National Seashore stretches roughly 37 miles along a barrier island shared between Maryland and Virginia, managed jointly by the National Park Service and the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The island's most iconic residents are its wild horses, believed to be descendants of domesticated horses brought to the island centuries ago, possibly by colonial-era settlers seeking to avoid livestock taxes on the mainland. These compact, sturdy ponies roam freely across the dunes, maritime shrub thickets, and tidal marshes, making an encounter with them one of the most memorable wildlife moments on the East Coast.

Beyond the horses, the island shelters over 300 recorded bird species, making it a significant destination for birders, particularly during Atlantic Flyway migration seasons in spring and fall. The undeveloped Atlantic-facing beaches draw swimmers, surfers, and anglers, while the calm bayside waters are suited to kayaking and paddleboarding through narrow channels edged with cordgrass. Backcountry camping is available for those who want to spend a night under a sky unmarred by light pollution, listening to the surf from a tent pitched among the dunes.

The Maryland side of the park, accessed near Berlin, includes the Barrier Island Visitor Center, where exhibits explain the island's geology, ecology, and the natural forces that continually reshape its shoreline. Assateague Island National Seashore stands as one of the last undeveloped barrier islands on the Atlantic coast, and that distinction alone makes it worth the visit.