Updated on June 16th, 2021
It felt like I was the only person on Assateague Island on a rainy April Sunday. I know it wasn’t true, but it sure felt that way. Assateague in early spring isn’t a place you would want to pull out a beach chair or pitch a tent at a campsite but it certainly had its perks. Assateague in early spring is moody, full of muted shades of brown and gray, wiping winds, and unpredictable weather, but that made it so beautiful.
Why Early Spring?
My trip to Assateague Island National Seashore in early April was my first, which is surprising given I have spent at least one weekend on the Eastern Shore of Maryland every summer for the last ten years. My summers on the Eastern Shore have been filled with boating, crabbing, and sitting on the patio trying not to die of the heat. This New England girl is just not made for Maryland summers. The idea of trying to explore a crowded national park in 90-degree heat with 90% humidity is not my idea of a good time. This is why exploring Assateague Island on a blustery, rainy, 50-degree day in April, seemed like a splendid idea. It had the added benefit of scaring off almost everyone else in the world from visiting.
I have also heard that the bugs during the summer months on Assateague are almost unbearable. Especially on the marsh side of the island. Avoiding that was high on my list for a visit as well.
I arrived at the visitor center after a traffic free drive from the bay bridge. That’s right. No traffic all the way down route 50 from the bay bridge. If you have never dealt with shore traffic in the summer, you might not understand how great this is, but for the rest of you….unbelievable right?! I grabbed a stamp for my National Parks Service passport and a map, hopped back in the car and over the bridge to the island.
The Horses
I’m going to start with the obvious. Everyone goes to Assateague to see the horses. The horses are beautiful, and like the landscape are untamed. Interestingly enough the horses are not actually wild, they are technically feral. Their ancestors were once domesticated but now after generation, they have been “unbroken” and roam free on the island. We all understand what a feral cat is, so think similar but weighing a lot more and having a propensity for biting and kicking. There are signs everywhere warning you to give them space, but I’ll get to more on that in a minute.
I saw my first horses almost immediately after crossing the bridge onto the island. Two adults and a foal. I squealed with excitement. One thing you should know about me is that I am a rule follower. There had been signs asking me not to pull over or stop in the road to watch the horses, so I drove slowly by them.
After entering the park, and seeing my fourth or fifth sign asking me to keep at least 40 feet from any horses, I parked in the Life of the Forest Trail. I’m not sure why it still surprises me when others are bad at following rules! Insert giant eye roll here, but I was shocked to find four young people taking selfies with one of the horses. We are not talking 40 feet away selfies, with the horse at a safe distance. I am talking selfies while touching the feral horse. Had I not been by myself I would have marched right up to them and given them what for. Fortunately for them, I wasn’t comfortable confronting them by myself and all I could do was will the horse to bite them.
This wasn’t the only time I witnessed horse harassment during my visit. I watched a lady run after a horse down a path, yelling at it to stop while waving a camera around. I also saw a car almost hit a horse while trying to get a better roadside picture. What?! Do I now live in an alternate reality where everyone has lost their damn minds?? Leave the horses alone! The park officials have made it very clear how to interact with the horses. Just follow their instructions and everyone, horses included, will have a much better time.
Now that I have gotten off my soapbox, the horses are beautiful. I drove all over the island trying to find horses to photograph. The pouring rain seemed to keep them out of sight and the few I did see were during the worst of the downpours when I didn’t want to have my camera out.
If getting photos of them is a high priority for you, I highly recommend bringing a camera with a telephoto lens so that you can photograph them at a safe distance.
The Hiking
There are three “trails” in the Maryland District of Assateague Island. I walked all three in about 30 minutes each. That was while stopping for the rain, stopping to take photos, stopping to film video. They are each about a half mile and they are also all loop trails. Maps for all the trails for both the Maryland and Virginia district can be found on the National Park Service Website.
Life of the Marsh Trail
The Life of the Marsh Trail leads out over the marsh. It is flat with ramps and only a few steps leading to a small beach with access to the marsh side waters. I saw many birds and watched kite surfers on the water! This trail is very easy.
Life of the Forest Trail
The Life of the Forest Trail starts in a forest of loblolly pines. The gravel path leads to an elevated boardwalk that provides views of the marsh. The paths are flat and there is a ramp leading up to the boardwalk. This trail is very easy.
Life of the Dunes Trail
The Life of the Dunes Trail was my favorite of the three. It is at the end of the zone where you are able to drive a car without a permit. The path is loose sand. At some points, I was sinking almost ankle deep. The path is flat and has many cool features including some really cool old trees. It also has the ruins of Baltimore Boulevard a 15-mile asphalt road that was destroyed in 1962, which was fun to walk on!
On all three of these trails, there is a lot of poison ivy. Stay on the trail and watch where you step!
The Beach
The beach on Assateague in early spring was understandably pretty empty. Anyone else in sight was merely a speck on the horizon. I sat for a while and just enjoyed the solitude of the waves.
For those who are looking to visit at a more hospitable time of year, there did appear to be great facilities including toilets, showers and a place to lock up bikes. The beach is 37 miles long which means there are a lot of different places to set up shop.
We are planning to return with the camper van to stay at one of the beachside campsites! I want to see those beautiful dunes at sunrise!!
Check out more of our National Park Posts!
What is your favorite national park? We are planning more trips this year and would love to hear your favorites!!
Lots of good info here and I’m grateful for it, as, at age 73, I’m finally planning a visit to Assateague to see the feral ponies/horses. I’ve meant for decades to do this and now I’m fulfilling my promise to myself. Like you, Gwen, I tend to follow the rules and I appreciate your laying them out here. Respect for these beautiful creatures is all it should take for people not to get closer than 40 feet. We’re now living in a “I do whatever I feel like doing” world — and someday that will spell out disaster for the ponies and horses at Assateague, or at least will make the animals off-limits to visitors. And that will be a real shame.