Assateague Island National Seashore

Can you imagine anything more fun than lugging a 30 pound cooler, beach umbrella, 2 chairs, 2 sand spikes, 2 surf fishing poles, 1 fish tackle box, 1 backpack, 1 stereo and bags of food onto the sandy beaches of Assateague Island National Seashore? I can't!

I have been a faithful drifter to the beautiful beaches of this national park for roughly 5 years. Having grown up just 4 short hours away from prime beaches of the East Coast, I stumbled upon Assateague on a trip with my family. After visiting one time, the comparison of these calm beaches, cool blue water, and friendly animal life to the hustle and bustle of neighboring Ocean City was a wonderful change and I was hooked.

Since becoming a regular to these coastal beaches, I have had many interesting adventures on the island of wild horses. Most of which, of course, occurred with the reason this island is so popular: wild horses.

My first experience with these limbering, beautiful creatures was with my parents on one of our first trips. As anyone knows who has visited Assateague, the horses have become quite accustomed to human food. It was hilarious to see that horse walk right over and start eating the food of our blanket neighbors. My next few visits consisted of a horse popping open my cooler, tramping on my cell phone and eating my potato chips. This past visit my husband and I lost several boxes of cereal along with other goodies.

Besides the horse gorgers, there are plenty of other interesting and fun things to partake on Assateague Island National Seashore. One of which is a pastime my husband and I have become addicted to, which is surf fishing. I have to admit, when my husband mentioned starting up this hobby, I wasn't altogether thrilled. I believe we visited the beach two times before I started getting curious about casting.

For those of you who have no interest in fishing, I relate completely. Up until last summer, I had only been fishing one time, and I wasn't impressed at all. However, watching my husband fling a 9' pole through the air and chucking that bait past the wave breaks was very fascinating. So...I purchased a pole and gave it a try. Within my first day of surf fishing I caught several blue fish. It was cool. Although it didn't compare to the shark my husband caught and released, I brought in dinner and bait!

Our last beach trip of the summer, we decided to take advantage of camping right on the beach. Having to lug almost 100 lbs of gear onto the beach, we thought we would take advantage of a shorter walk. We were well aware of the insane mosquito population, but, being avid campers, we thought we could handle this adventure.

By the end of our long weekend, the mosquitoes proved to be the winners, and we were exhausted, burnt and bitten. Most the reason we had such an issue was because the only sites left to reserve were walk in only. This meant, we had to hike about 50 feet through swampy areas infested with mosquitoes, and up over a sand dune, just to get to our campsite. The several trips to and from the car proved fatal for our mosquito repellent.

Despite all this, we're giving camping a second try at Assateague Island National Seashore. This time, however, we're planning ahead of time and booking a pull in site so we do not have to make the treacherous walk through the mosquito infestations. Camping on the beach is an awesome adventure, but plan ahead and use the car pull in sites only. You will save your body, however, if you would like more amenities than a cold shower and a bathroom, you should look for facilities elsewhere.

Another tip while traveling to the seashore is to make sure you get to the park early. The line up through the admissions gate (only $10 per vehicle or $20 for a year long pass) gets backed up due to the limited access road, and parking is limited. Plus, you don't want to miss securing the perfect surf fishing spot.

I am very excited to purchase a bicycle in the future, because at the park, there are amazing bike trails to take you through the wilderness. You can experience firsthand the wild horses, deer, and plenty of birds and other wildlife. Another plus of biking into the park is to take advantage of the cheaper entrance fee.

Assateague Island National Seashore is an amazing vacation spot that everyone can enjoy, as long as you enjoy the beach. Don't forget to bring some firewood with you, and stay into the long night hours for a beach bonfire with your honey. Also take advantage of clear skies that are perfect for spotting beautiful shooting stars. I saw several last year and they were magnificent! The entrance is open 24 hours a day so you can enjoy the beautiful area anytime of day or night.

Just before you cross over the beautifully crafted bridge into the island, you can pick up some bait and snacks at Buck's. There are also two great campgrounds to stay at if you prefer more upscale amenities.

Overall, this seashore is one of many great seashore spots along the East Coast. For a great, nature inspired trip, however, this is the tops. Hook into the history of Assateague and plan to stay for a few days. It is well worth your time.

Assateague Island National Seashore (U.S. National Park Service)
http://www.nps.gov/asis