Assateague Island

[2012Oudoorsman]

I'd like to plan a trip here next year but struggling to find something that works for us. We would be going with another camper. Neither of us are set up to dry camp and do not want to try to. We would need electric. Sewer would be nice but I have 2 black tanks and can go a minimum of a week without issues. I would also need a pet friendly destination.

If I didnt have a home generator I'd think about buying one of the cheaper inverter ones but that would be a waste for one trip.

Being a popular destination I figured a lot of people on here have visited and figured this area out already.

Anyone have any good locations close by that they can recommend? Thanks in advance.

[mdcamping]

TomC1216 wrote:
We can now only stay there the 7th, then must find another location

Just to clarify, I have 2 electric H loop sites booked for 2018 Columbus day weekend. Construction starts on Monday the 8th. Spoke this morning to the reservation office, was told monday is the check out day, not sunday the 7th.

But who knows a lot can happen in the next 10 months...

Mike

[TomC1216]

We were traveling with 2 other RV'ers to Assategue State Park Loop H (electric) October 7 thru 18, 2018. We were recently informed that the H loop will be closed for renovations (removing sites closer to the shore). We can now only stay there the 7th, then must find another location. Staying that long without electric is not really an ideal option, so we are now looking at other areas nearby. Frontier Town, and Delaware state parks are near the top of our list for now. We are coming from upstate NY, so we had not thought of Chincoteague before, even though we had driven there from Assategue for day trips to the lighthouse and the nearby NASA facility at Wallops Island. We have enjoyed Assategue for several years....nothing like it anywhere we have found. Time to rerun our map routes!

[All_I_could_aff]

I must have been lucky.every time I’ve been there( always june, July, or August), The wind was blowing off the ocean so very few bugs, humidity was reasonable, and horses visited but never got into our food or Personal Items. To each his own, But I love it there

[Jerseydevil]

Veebyes wrote:

Jerseydevil wrote:
Thank you Assateague for getting me out of tent and putting me in class C...lol
Enjoy.

What, you don't like sharing your space with the bugs!!!!

Bugs were nothing...getting your tent torn open by horses was a memorable experience. On beach, food in car, came back to raided tent during our first time there years ago.

[Veebyes]

Jerseydevil wrote:
Thank you Assateague for getting me out of tent and putting me in class C...lol
Enjoy.

What, you don't like sharing your space with the bugs!!!!

[Jerseydevil]

Thank you Assateague for getting me out of tent and putting me in class C...lol
Enjoy.

[mdcamping]

Lantley wrote:

spoon059 wrote:

Lantley wrote:
Is that what Assateaque is like for some?:@ Sorry but that is not how I would describe it.:(
From the demand and the years long wait for sites. People appear to really love scraggly bushes and horse poop.:E

For me, yes that is what its like. I'm not a fan of it. I don't understand the appeal.

We stay 30 miles north at Delaware Seashore and LOVE that... but lots of people don't like it and don't understand the appeal to me. We stay there because it provides great and easy walking access to a quiet beach, provides full hookups and nice sized sites, provides easy vehicular access to Bethany Beach and Rehoboth Beach. Its not nearly as popular as Assateague and those parks down there, but you have to make reservations 8-10 months in advance usually.

That's the great thing about CHOICES... people can chose where they want to go. Mosquitos that can carry off small children... horse poop everywhere for the kids to play with (before the mosquitos carry then away)... no electricity depending on park/loop... no shade depending upon park... no thanks!

Like you I have gravitated to the Delaware beaches. Cape Henlopen, Killens Pond and DE Seashore park are all great places.
However I don't dislike Assateaque.
My main gripe with Assateaque is simply, there is not enough availability. The current availability is just a tease.
Year long waits for sites is excessive. No thanks there are other options. But if you are lucky enough to score an electric site. There is no place quite like it.
I would love to see them expand the CG and at at least 100 electric sites w/50 amp service.
I know there has to be a balance between keeping things natural and allowing man to destroy the place via camping. But currently the demand far exceeds the availability.

I was told this past OCT that for 2018 they were going to add another electric loop. Got notice a week or so ago that the expansion will be put off to 2019, glass half full I guess.

Booked 2 electric sites for Columbus day weekend 2018, added a extra day early. I left work early that day to book the the 2 sites just a few hrs after the opening window time. There was only a couple of sites left after I booked.

Mike

[Lantley]

spoon059 wrote:

Lantley wrote:
Is that what Assateaque is like for some?:@ Sorry but that is not how I would describe it.:(
From the demand and the years long wait for sites. People appear to really love scraggly bushes and horse poop.:E

For me, yes that is what its like. I'm not a fan of it. I don't understand the appeal.

We stay 30 miles north at Delaware Seashore and LOVE that... but lots of people don't like it and don't understand the appeal to me. We stay there because it provides great and easy walking access to a quiet beach, provides full hookups and nice sized sites, provides easy vehicular access to Bethany Beach and Rehoboth Beach. Its not nearly as popular as Assateague and those parks down there, but you have to make reservations 8-10 months in advance usually.

That's the great thing about CHOICES... people can chose where they want to go. Mosquitos that can carry off small children... horse poop everywhere for the kids to play with (before the mosquitos carry then away)... no electricity depending on park/loop... no shade depending upon park... no thanks!

Like you I have gravitated to the Delaware beaches. Cape Henlopen, Killens Pond and DE Seashore park are all great places.
However I don't dislike Assateaque.
My main gripe with Assateaque is simply, there is not enough availability. The current availability is just a tease.
Year long waits for sites is excessive. No thanks there are other options. But if you are lucky enough to score an electric site. There is no place quite like it.
I would love to see them expand the CG and at at least 100 electric sites w/50 amp service.
I know there has to be a balance between keeping things natural and allowing man to destroy the place via camping. But currently the demand far exceeds the availability.

[spoon059]

Lantley wrote:
Is that what Assateaque is like for some?:@ Sorry but that is not how I would describe it.:(
From the demand and the years long wait for sites. People appear to really love scraggly bushes and horse poop.:E

For me, yes that is what its like. I'm not a fan of it. I don't understand the appeal.

We stay 30 miles north at Delaware Seashore and LOVE that... but lots of people don't like it and don't understand the appeal to me. We stay there because it provides great and easy walking access to a quiet beach, provides full hookups and nice sized sites, provides easy vehicular access to Bethany Beach and Rehoboth Beach. Its not nearly as popular as Assateague and those parks down there, but you have to make reservations 8-10 months in advance usually.

That's the great thing about CHOICES... people can chose where they want to go. Mosquitos that can carry off small children... horse poop everywhere for the kids to play with (before the mosquitos carry then away)... no electricity depending on park/loop... no shade depending upon park... no thanks!

[wilcamp]

Crabbypatty wrote:
In July Chincotegue has the pony swim fair and auction. We stayed at Toms COve full hook ups and the ponys swim right by it. Then they parade the wild ponys in the street. Its quite a site. We drove to Assategue which isnt that far and site seeing and went to the beach for the day. Lots of fun

We haven't been there for many years, but Tom's Cove is our choice location as well. Plenty of dining opportunities on Chincoteague, shopping and activities abound, and the drive to Assateague is easily managed for a day at the beach, or the nature trails. We always went the week before Pony Penning, avoiding the huge crowds, but still able to enjoy the Firemen's Festival.

[Lantley]

spoon059 wrote:

Ralph Cramden wrote:
"The biggest dings? All sites here are very open (no trees or such) so there’s not much privacy, plus there are quite a lot of painful grass stickers/burrs (hard on bare feet and paws) as well as pony poop (the ponies regularly walk thro’ camp & leave souvenirs), so hanging around on the grass by your site can sometimes be a challenge."

I guess it would of been better if the state of MD planted a bunch of trees on the barrier island where they don't grow naturally, ripped out all the native vegetation that has a burr, and picked up the horseshit LOL.

Doesn't sound like the poster was advocating for that, but rather was explaining the situation for future campers. Nothing wrong with that. There are lots of people who don't know that its wide open, full of scraggly bushes and horse poop. If they read that review, they know what to expect.

Is that what Assateaque is like for some?:@ Sorry but that is not how I would describe it.:(
From the demand and the years long wait for sites. People appear to really love scraggly bushes and horse poop.:E

[spoon059]

Ralph Cramden wrote:
"The biggest dings? All sites here are very open (no trees or such) so there’s not much privacy, plus there are quite a lot of painful grass stickers/burrs (hard on bare feet and paws) as well as pony poop (the ponies regularly walk thro’ camp & leave souvenirs), so hanging around on the grass by your site can sometimes be a challenge."

I guess it would of been better if the state of MD planted a bunch of trees on the barrier island where they don't grow naturally, ripped out all the native vegetation that has a burr, and picked up the horseshit LOL.

Doesn't sound like the poster was advocating for that, but rather was explaining the situation for future campers. Nothing wrong with that. There are lots of people who don't know that its wide open, full of scraggly bushes and horse poop. If they read that review, they know what to expect.

[jplante4]

Yeah, I thought there was a certain irony in the "pick up after your pet" policy at Assateague.

[bucky]

So did the ranger have a decibel meter?