Here’s to another not particularly local beach, but such a treasure and within driving distance. We have been lucky enough to visit both the Maryland and Virginia sides of the park.

The island is known for its pristine beach, gorgeous hiking trails, kayaking, and most of all, the wild ponies. Every time we have been able to see ponies though I have not seen them on the beach (though they definitely do make there way on the beach judging by the horse poop). These are wild ponies so don’t approach them. You can see them while driving through the park, or take an adventure on a boat.

The Maryland side is right outside Berlin, MD which is a cute little main street type town featured in Runaway Bride. It makes a nice day trip from Ocean City to experience more sand, but a very different experience. To drive in, it costs $25 per vehicle, but we used our Maryland State Park pass to get in. Otherwise if you want to save some bucks, August 4 and September 24th are the next free days, and it is free to bike or walk in (you can park on the other side of the bridge and bike in). If you want to do an adventure, like a kayaking tour, stop at the building on the right before you go over the bridge into the park. And if you are up for it and plan in advance, you can camp on the beach as well!

We came on a very windy day which made for a challenge setting up the cabana, but it did stand up to the strong winds and did not collapse. The water was pretty cold but the sand was soft. On the upside of the wind was the opportunity to fly a kite! The area outside the parking lot was the most crowded, but the beach is huge so if you are able to walk down a bit you will find plenty of space.

There is a building by the parking lot with bathrooms, a place to eat, and there are outdoors places to rinse off as well.

The Virginia side is cheaper and accessed through the fun town of Chincoteague which makes a great home base to visit Assateague. Cars are $10 for one day, $25 for 7 days, and free for walkers or bikers. We had a great airbnb with a gorgeous view that included the lighthouse during our visit last year, but there are tons of different options for staying in Chincoteague or nearby.

We were there over Memorial Day weekend which is a hit or miss with weather. Though it was a bit colder, we loved driving up and spending the evening frolicking on an empty beach as the sun set.

On the Virginia side we did spend more time exploring, with some lovely hikes, stopping to watch the horses on the side of the road, and visiting the lighthouse. Some of the time was wet and that did not deter the park’s beauty.

No need for a pros and cons list as if you can spare at least an overnight trip, I super recommend visiting this incredible location.