Asseteague National Park/ Camping

[Dave K.]

Hope I spelled this right! I'm interested in camping here this summer & wondering if anyone is familiar w/ it. It's in Maryland so I know the shore is nice.

Anyone been there. Thx Dave

 

[ill r]

Re: Asseteague National Park/ Camping

sure, grew up near there and worked summers as a lifeguard on the MD state park side. its a "make your own fun" kind of place, which people tend to either love or hate. lots of campers have come the same week or month every year for 30 yrs or more. I will warn you the skeeters and/or horseflies can get prety rank if there's not enough wind to keep 'em off you, but there is generally a seabreeze. do a search on google, you'l find plenty written about it.

-Bill R.

 

[CaptainHook]

Re: Asseteague National Park/ Camping

Assateague Island is gorgeous. I spent every summer in West Ocean City Md from the time I was born until my family sold the house when I was about 25. I love it there.

You will enjoy it, the ocean beach is nice and clean. You can have camp fires. Take your dog on the beach. Nobody complains about you drinking a beer or whatever. The wild horses, whitetail, and sika deer are all over. The bayside is good for fishing, crabbing, claming, etc.... Nature hikes, rent canoes. It is really nice. I am pretty sure it is cheap to camp there as well.

I still visit every year if only for a day.

 

[Free Bird]

Re: Asseteague National Park/ Camping

The NATIONAL Park side of Assateague is only accesable from Chincoteague,VA and it's in VA. The northern part of the island is a STATE Park in MD. There is actually a fence between the two sides to keep the horse herds apart. Maryland side has camping and I think they also have backwoods camping. The VA side doesn't have camping but you can camp at any of several private campgrounds in Chincoteague. You can walk from of the campgrounds to get onto Assateague so it's not like it's far. BTW I thought the horses on the VA side seemed more "wild." The horses on the MD side will actually walk up to car windows. I think people feed them. One thing I learned while there is that the island is not sprayed for bugs (mosquitoes). The town of Chincoteague does spray. There are a lot of small boat landings in Chincoteague and it's great boating. We saw lots of the horses from the boat. They also have a red and white lighthouse you can climb.

 

[Dave K.]

Re: Asseteague National Park/ Camping

Thank you all....Really appreciate the info! Yeah, I'm pretty sure I'm going sometime in July. I've been to Chincoteague so I know about the horses & other nature aspects.

Every year since I was a kid I've gone to either Cape Cod (the vineyard) or the Jersey Shore. Both are really nice, different from one another, but the ocean is great & I love the ocean.

Just want to try something else so going to the Maryland coast & camping a 100' from the ocean woud certainly be different. BTW, I assume it's somewhat close to towns or other communities for supplies & stuff...?

If you can think of anything else, please let me know. Pretty sure I'm booking four or five nights very soon....

Thx Dave

 

[rauch0812]

Re: Assateague National Park/ Camping

Re: Assateague National Park/ Camping

I just want to clarify for the 2 campgrounds - the state park and the national park are BOTH accessible from Maryland. When you come over the bridge you can either turn right and go about a mile or so to the National Park, or go straight and immediately enter the state park. The state park costs more per night but they have hot showers! The national park is cheaper, but the showers are cold. What's different about the National Park is you can choose beach side or bayside, walk-in sites and backwoods sites. National Park is also much more tolerent of dog owners. State park just started allowing dogs in one loop this year. Anyway - my favorite all time place to go! Have fun.

Desera

 

[dingbat]

Re: Asseteague National Park/ Camping

The NATIONAL Park side of Assateague is only accesable from Chincoteague,VA and it's in VA. The northern part of the island is a STATE Park in MD.

This is incorrect information. The main entrance to Assateague National Park is located in Maryland. While techically part of Assateague National Park, the Virgina side of the island is the Chincoteague National Widelife refuge.

If you have an OVR permit as I do it's valid at both locations.

FWIW: The most miserable place I've ever camped. The Green headed flies, biting flies and mosquitoes will eat you alive anytime the wind is blowing with a westerly direction. Heaven help you if it dies out completely as it has a tendency to do after the sun goes down.

 

[Dave K.]

Re: Asseteague National Park/ Camping

Again, Thank you all for the response. I'm definitly going! A couple more questions... First: My plan is to go early to mid August so "How are the bugs at that time?" Next: Would the showers be to cold in the National Park if it's at night during August? Remember, I'm from upstate NY & used to camping in Lake George where it starts getting cold at night during August so this could be a Relative question.

I'm thinking the National Park as it allows me Both, the bay & the coast.

Thx again. Dave

 

[dingbat]

Re: Asseteague National Park/ Camping

First: My plan is to go early to mid August so "How are the bugs at that time?"

The bugs are awful until the first frost which typically occurs sometime in November.

Next: Would the showers be to cold in the National Park if it's at night during August? Remember, I'm from upstate NY & used to camping in Lake George where it starts getting cold at night during August so this could be a Relative question.

August is our hottest month of the year. Pretty typical to have low temps in the upper 70's w/85-90% humidity that time of the year. I'd be more worried about how long the line is to stand in those cold showers at night.