Assateague Island

Assateague Island has 2 trails to explore; we hiked the Life of the Dunes Trail which showcased a road called Baltimore Boulevard. It was a road built in the 1950s that took you from MD to VA through Assateague Island. The road was destroyed during a Nor'easter in 1962, which then paved the way for this national park to exist. Currently, it costs $20 to get into the National Park part of the island but is free with the national park pass (~$90/year).

History

The history of the horses is pretty interesting, click here for a detailed story. To summarize: the horses are divided into Maryland/Virginia herds, each separated by a fence. The National Park Service manages the MD herd, and the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company manages the VA side. The Chincoteague "Pony Penning" is the annual horse swim from Assateague Island to Chincoteague Island that occurs on the last Wednesday of July. During this event, most of the young foals are auctioned off to benefit the volunteer fire company. You know where we will we be that day if it happens this year!