Last weekend, I took a drive out to the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Virginia. There's a long barrier island, just south of Ocean City, Maryland, that's famous for it's wild ponies - technically horses. This island is technically in Maryland. However, the southern tip of the island is closely linked to another island on the Virginia side of the Eastern Shore.
This is Assateague Island.
Assateague Island was originally slated to become an island community in the 1960s - similar to Ocean City, Maryland - but a hurricane put an end to those plans. There are a few remaining bits of evidence of this planned community in the northern part of the island with huge chunks of asphalt and an old ferry landing.
After the hurricane, Assateague Island became a designated National Seashore. There's also a Maryland State Park and a Wildlife Refuge. Each section has hiking trails, beach access, and plenty of wildlife.
Which brings me the most famous part of Assateague Island - the wild ponies.
There are many theories as to how the Assateague and Chincoteague Island ponies came to be on the island. The most popular legend is that a Spanish Galleon wrecked off the Eastern Shore coast and the horses on the ship swam to shore, became wild, and adapted to living on the island. However, the actual origins to the wild horses has been lost to history.
I first learned of Assateague Island and the amazing wildlife there by reading the book Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry in grade school. I was never really into horses as a kid (it was my cousin's thing, so it couldn't be my thing), but the story always stood out to me. It's loosely based on true events and includes the famous pony swim between Assateague and Chincoteague - complete with saltwater cowboys - and explains some of the history behind the famous annual event.
In the 1920s, two fires swept through Chincoteague's tiny town's main street, devastating the area. Chincoteague's fire department were the ones to propose a charity event where they would round up the horses on the southern tip of the island, have them swim between the two islands, parade them to town, and then action some of them off for charity. The event raised enough money to help the town rebuild. To this day, the Chincoteague Fire Department still technically owns the horses on the southern (or Virginia) side of the island of Assateague. These horses are kept in fenced off areas with around 40 in a smaller paddock closer to where people can see them and a larger paddock further north with around 100 horses which is a bit of a hike to get to.
The horses in the north (or Maryland) side of the island have a very different living situation. The wild horses are allowed to roam free, often enjoy prancing on the beach, and occasionally sleep near someone's camp site (the northern part of the island is the only area you are allowed to camp and bring your pets). Though you don't want to get too close to the horses (you'll want to keep about a school bus or 40 feet or 10 meters away from the wildlife), they can come up close and personal to you if you aren't paying attention.
The only warning my parents kept reminding me before I went to Assateague was that the horses will bite and/or kick if they don't want you near them. In fact, if a horse is seen as being "too aggressive" the horse will be retired to a sanctuary elsewhere in the United States. These are wild animals and should be treated as such.
The two sides of the island are only connected via a hiking trail. You cannot drive between the north and the south. Pets and camping are also not allowed on the southern side of the island as it's a wildlife refuge, while in the north there's a lot of camp sites - including the opportunity to camp on the beach and backwoods camping that can only be accessed by kayak or canoe. There are a lot more hiking trails in the southern area and a really cool Civil War lighthouse that is still maintained by the Coast Guard.
However, both sides are worth a visit. I stayed in Chincoteague, but could have easily camped or stayed in Ocean City as an alternative.
Assateague Island National Seashore and the Chincoteague Wildlife Refuge are both part of the National Park system. If you have a park pass, you're visit is free! However, you will need to purchase additional permits for camping, off road vehicles on the beach, fishing, and clamming. There are opportunities to rent bicycles, paddleboards, kayaks, and canoes. Beaches do have lifeguards, but they only seem to be available during the typical summer months (Memorial Day to Labor Day).
Wild horses are not native to the United States, however they are common throughout the country. Many western states have wild horse populations such as Arizona and California that were reintroduced to North America via the European colonialization period (mainly Spaniard) - horses had been native to North America, but died out some 10,000 years ago. You can even see wild horses in the western areas of Virginia mountains and the Outer Banks barrier islands.
Assateague and Chincoteague Islands are beautiful and the horses are amazing to see. The Chincoteague Island Ponies (which are really horses) have recently become the state mammal of Virginia. If you're curious about the famous horses, I recommend starting with the fictional story Misty of Chincoteague or one of the documentaries released by the National Parks Service.
The islands are well worth a visit.
Until next week.
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