Wild horses and beach days on Assateague Island
Assateague Island National Seashore, MD
- Who it suits
- Families with little kids, families with teens, couples and friends
- How long
- 3, 4 or 5 days
- Getting there
- Fly
- Seasons
- Spring, Summer, Fall
Why it works
- There are few places in the United States where you can view wild horses, and on Assateague they roam freely throughout the Maryland portion of the island, in the marshes, along the beach and often in the campgrounds, parking areas and roads.
- Assateague is an undeveloped barrier island with 37 miles of beach to wander, and camping is available in the Maryland portion of the island.
- The Assateague Island Visitor Center in Maryland has marine aquariums, a touch tank and a film about the wild horses of the island.
- Kids can earn a Junior Ranger badge with an activity booklet from the visitor centers.
Watch out for
- Feeding or petting the horses is illegal, and visitors are kicked, bitten and knocked down every year.
- Mosquitoes, biting flies, gnats and ticks are abundant from spring through autumn, and winter is often cold, damp and windy.
Sources
- There are few places in the United States where you can view wild horses, and on Assateague they roam freely throughout the Maryland portion of the island, in the marshes, along the beach and often in the campgrounds, parking areas and roads. source 1 · source 2 (checked 2026-11-14)
- Assateague is an undeveloped barrier island with 37 miles of beach to wander, and camping is available in the Maryland portion of the island. source 1 · source 2 (checked 2026-11-14)
- The Assateague Island Visitor Center in Maryland has marine aquariums, a touch tank and a film about the wild horses of the island. source (checked 2026-11-14)
- Kids can earn a Junior Ranger badge with an activity booklet from the visitor centers. source (checked 2026-11-14)
- Feeding or petting the horses is illegal, and visitors are kicked, bitten and knocked down every year. source 1 · source 2 (checked 2026-11-14)
- Mosquitoes, biting flies, gnats and ticks are abundant from spring through autumn, and winter is often cold, damp and windy. source (checked 2026-11-14)