Assateague Island is a barrier island off the coast of Virginia and Maryland. At one time it was connected to Ocean City, Maryland. Now, it is separated by an inlet. Assateague Island is unique for many reasons, but it is mo
stly known as being one of the few places in the United States where you can see wild horses. The horses have been separated into two herds divided by a fence at the state line. The wild horses on the island are descendants of domestic animals. There are many opinions about how the horses originally arrived.The most intersting theory is that the original horses were survivors of a shipwreck off the coast. However, no records have confirmed the shipwreck story. Another possibility is that the the horses were transported to the island by mainland owners during the late 17th century in an effort to avoid fencing laws and livestock taxes. This was the story endorsed on the national park literature. Regardless of how they arrived on the island, the horses have survived scorching heat, legendary mosquitoes, stormy weather and a lack of food. Nowadays, the National Park Service manages the Maryland herd, while the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company owns and manages the Virginia herd.
Management of the island itself is shared by the Chicoteague Natgional Wildlife Refuge, the National Park Service, and the Fish and Wildlife Refuge. Another interesting part of the history of the island are the shipwrecks it has seen. As coastal trade developed in the late
1800s and more ships traveled through the area, the number of shipwrecks increased. Many ships were wrecked because of difficulty of navigating the unpredictable offshore sandbars. One of the most famous shipwrecks involved President Benjamin Harrison. His official yacht ran aground a little more than 75 yards from the shore. While no one was killed, the ship that had been the official yacht of Presidents Hayes, Garfield, Arthur, Cleveland and Harrison was damaged beyond repair. Island residents often stripped the wrecked ships of their cargo. Although looting the ships was against the law, it was extremely difficult to enforce. New shipwreck sites are still discovered when storms blow through the area. Driving in the early morning made our time on the road a breeze. We arrived just as the park opened. This in itself was a relief since the government's nonsense with an undecided budget almost closed national parks across the country. We immediately spotted horses on either side of the road. It seems they have learned where best to meet humans giving out free food. We drove carefully through carefully as horses walked up the meet us. We checked in with the park office to get the necessary backcountry permit. We were greeted by a super s
toned, hairy, amazing human being. He was full of grusome advice, like "don't go out there in the summer, you'll be drained of your blood in no time" (referring to mosquitos). I managed to keep a straight face and headed off with some maps and information. As soon as we started hiking, we realized how unique of an experience this really was. Finding any undeveloped coastline nowadays is nearly impossible.
Although we were only an hour's drive from ocean city, things felt pretty isolated. There wasn't a traditional trail with painted blazes and cairns- the trail simply followed the beach. There are several backcountry camping areas down the length of the island, alternating between oceanside and bayside sites. We picked an oceanside destination, at a shorter distance than usual. We intended the weekend to be a relaxing one, and we knew that walking in the soft sand, with backpacks, would be tiring. The weather turned from overcast to sunny and beautiful just as we were setting out. The blue skies, black and white swirling sand, and sound of the surf made for a tranquil experience. I must have become a little too relaxed- several times I snapped out of a daydream to find my feet in the water. We passed a few fisherman as we hiked thr
ough the morning. We easily found our campsite by turning of the beach at a designated milage marker. it was still relatively early, and we happily set up camp. Knowing that you aren't racing the setting sun makes the process more enjoyable. After we had finished, Britt and I decided to explore the island. We wondered if we could make it through the thick marsh and woods to the bayside of the island. Dad hung around camp to fend off horses and read a book. We made it to an inlet on the inner coast by following horse tracks that were blanketed by large piles of manure. No wonder the island is so densely covered in greenery, it's been pummeled with fertilizer for hundreds of years. We headed back for camp and passed a well preserved horse/ large deer skeleton. Once back, an early dinner and bedtime completed fulfilled our quota for relaxation. Before going to sleep I set out a pile of trail mix to lure in the horses. Britt got a kick out of that. If any horses came, I'm sure I slept through it. It seems they prefer the easy handouts from drivers by. If anyone is planning on hiking in this area in the near future, shoot me an email for some helpful directions and pointers.
stly known as being one of the few places in the United States where you can see wild horses. The horses have been separated into two herds divided by a fence at the state line. The wild horses on the island are descendants of domestic animals. There are many opinions about how the horses originally arrived.The most intersting theory is that the original horses were survivors of a shipwreck off the coast. However, no records have confirmed the shipwreck story. Another possibility is that the the horses were transported to the island by mainland owners during the late 17th century in an effort to avoid fencing laws and livestock taxes. This was the story endorsed on the national park literature. Regardless of how they arrived on the island, the horses have survived scorching heat, legendary mosquitoes, stormy weather and a lack of food. Nowadays, the National Park Service manages the Maryland herd, while the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company owns and manages the Virginia herd.Management of the island itself is shared by the Chicoteague Natgional Wildlife Refuge, the National Park Service, and the Fish and Wildlife Refuge. Another interesting part of the history of the island are the shipwrecks it has seen. As coastal trade developed in the late
1800s and more ships traveled through the area, the number of shipwrecks increased. Many ships were wrecked because of difficulty of navigating the unpredictable offshore sandbars. One of the most famous shipwrecks involved President Benjamin Harrison. His official yacht ran aground a little more than 75 yards from the shore. While no one was killed, the ship that had been the official yacht of Presidents Hayes, Garfield, Arthur, Cleveland and Harrison was damaged beyond repair. Island residents often stripped the wrecked ships of their cargo. Although looting the ships was against the law, it was extremely difficult to enforce. New shipwreck sites are still discovered when storms blow through the area. Driving in the early morning made our time on the road a breeze. We arrived just as the park opened. This in itself was a relief since the government's nonsense with an undecided budget almost closed national parks across the country. We immediately spotted horses on either side of the road. It seems they have learned where best to meet humans giving out free food. We drove carefully through carefully as horses walked up the meet us. We checked in with the park office to get the necessary backcountry permit. We were greeted by a super s
toned, hairy, amazing human being. He was full of grusome advice, like "don't go out there in the summer, you'll be drained of your blood in no time" (referring to mosquitos). I managed to keep a straight face and headed off with some maps and information. As soon as we started hiking, we realized how unique of an experience this really was. Finding any undeveloped coastline nowadays is nearly impossible.Although we were only an hour's drive from ocean city, things felt pretty isolated. There wasn't a traditional trail with painted blazes and cairns- the trail simply followed the beach. There are several backcountry camping areas down the length of the island, alternating between oceanside and bayside sites. We picked an oceanside destination, at a shorter distance than usual. We intended the weekend to be a relaxing one, and we knew that walking in the soft sand, with backpacks, would be tiring. The weather turned from overcast to sunny and beautiful just as we were setting out. The blue skies, black and white swirling sand, and sound of the surf made for a tranquil experience. I must have become a little too relaxed- several times I snapped out of a daydream to find my feet in the water. We passed a few fisherman as we hiked thr
ough the morning. We easily found our campsite by turning of the beach at a designated milage marker. it was still relatively early, and we happily set up camp. Knowing that you aren't racing the setting sun makes the process more enjoyable. After we had finished, Britt and I decided to explore the island. We wondered if we could make it through the thick marsh and woods to the bayside of the island. Dad hung around camp to fend off horses and read a book. We made it to an inlet on the inner coast by following horse tracks that were blanketed by large piles of manure. No wonder the island is so densely covered in greenery, it's been pummeled with fertilizer for hundreds of years. We headed back for camp and passed a well preserved horse/ large deer skeleton. Once back, an early dinner and bedtime completed fulfilled our quota for relaxation. Before going to sleep I set out a pile of trail mix to lure in the horses. Britt got a kick out of that. If any horses came, I'm sure I slept through it. It seems they prefer the easy handouts from drivers by. If anyone is planning on hiking in this area in the near future, shoot me an email for some helpful directions and pointers.