1. Q. What is the best
way to see Assateague wild ponies? |
A.
The best way to see the wild
ponies is to take a wildlife
voyage by boat along Assateague's inland waterway
. Herds of wild horses frequent miles of shoreline where pine forests,
marsh lands, and bay habitats meet. The Virginia part of Assateague
has a series of fences that are in place to keep the wild horses away
from roadways and back in the pine forests and marsh lands where they
pose less of a threat to automobiles and themselves. A boat can easily
cover lot's of terrain and often provides the best means of search.
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2.
Q. Where can I go fishing or sightseeing? |
A.
Great Flounder fishing and other sporfishing charters can be found at
Chincoteague
and Ocean
City. A number of good charter boat operations will take
you to the fish. With a knowledgeable guide, many areas around Assateague
can be targeted in hopes of adding fresh fish to the dinner table. If
you go it alone, try the areas around the inlets or the surf, but keep
in mind the tides, current, and wind. Chincoteague has many places to
choose from, some of which include the Assateague Channel near the
Assateague Lighthouse,
Four Mouths, Queen Sound, and Fishermen's Point. The
famous Assateague Ponies can be seen along the shoreline of Assateague's
back waters while on sightseeing
excursions
leaving from Chincoteague Island or Ocean City. Chincoteague's boat
voyages take you along the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge and
the waters where you can peek into this extraordinary eco system. Assateague
has over 37 miles of inshore coastline that can reveal an abundance
of birdlife
& marine life by boat.
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3. Q.
Can visitors enter and climb to the top of the Assateague Lighthouse? |
A.
The Assateague
Lighthouse is now available for visitor entry every
Fridy thru Sunday from Easter weekend to Thanksgiving weekend. You can
climb the inner circular staircase to the top and experience views of
Chincoteague and Assateague. Admission fees required.
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4. Q.
What do I need to know about four wheel drive recreation on the beach? |
A.
An over-sand
vehicle annual permit ($70-$150) and certain required safety
equipment such as a shovel, board, tow rope, and other gear is needed.
A portion of the southern tip of Assateague is "off limits"
during some months due to the fragile piping
plover nesting grounds.
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5. Q.
What kind of lodging is available in Ocean City, Maryland and Chincoteague,
Virginia? |
A.
Ocean City, Maryland and Chincoteague Island, Virginia are located within
a few minutes drive of each entrance to Assateague. Each has hotels,
condos, beach houses or cottages, and fine campground accommodations
for vacation needs while traveling to Assateague. See: www.assateagueisland.com
for further details.
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6. Q.
What kind of fish can we catch? |
A.
The fertile waters around Assateague Island contain many great sportfish
for the fishing enthusiast, especially during the spring, summer, and
fall months. Flounder are fantastic gamefish for family fishing, especially
around Chincoteague
Island, Virginia with it's many bays, creeks, channels, and
easy access to the ocean inlet. Go with a fishing
guide service and chances are good you'll have flounder
and other fish wrestling at the end of your line. Many good sized trophy
fish such as red drum,
striped bass,
Blue fish and more are caught off the beaches of Assateague while surf
fishing at the right times. During mid- summer, you'll be sure to find
tasty croakers
in large schools; gray
trout, speckled
trout, Spanish and king mackerel, black
drum and others waiting to be
reeled in.
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7. Q.
How much does it cost to enter the Assateague National Park and Chincoteague
National Wildlife Refuge? |
A.
Vehicle entrance fees are $10 per 7 days or $15-$20 annually. A Duck
stamp ($15.00) is also a valid annual pass at Chincoteague NWR and other
National Wildlife Refuges. You can also use a National Parks Pass. See
the Visit
the Park page
for more info.
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8. Q.
What are some of the best areas for bird watching? |
A.
It depends on what you want to see. A diverse species of shorebirds
(including the piping
plover) are numerous on Assateague's beaches. Chincoteague
NWR provides sanctuary at it's fresh water impoundment's for annual
migrations of waterfowl in large concentrations during the fall. Be
sure to take a wildlife
excursion by boat along
the miles of accessible inland waters that parallel Assateague and reveal
a hidden treasure of bird life and marinelife. Birders sometimes encounter
bald
eagle plus a variety of terns and other species along
Assateague's shoreline while traveling by boat.
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9. Q.
When is the Chincoteague Wild Pony Swim? |
A.
The Annual Chincoteague
Wild Pony Swim occurs on the
last Wednesday or Thursday of each July. After a few days of resting
and an auction
at Chincoteague, the ponies swim back across the Assateague Channel.
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10.
Q. What is the citation size for flounder in Virginia? What is the minimum
"keeper size"? |
A.
A citation Flounder weighs 6 lbs. and the minimum "keeper size"
is 15 and a half inches.
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11.
Q. With so many waterfowl on Assateague during the winter, are there
many good hunting areas nearby? |
A.
The inland waters near Assateague Island provide some of the best waterfowl
hunting opportunities in the United States. A long time destination
for huge concentrations of migrating waterfowl along the Atlantic flyway,
Assateague Island National Seashore and Chincoteague NWR provide protection
to a great variety of waterfowl species. As a result, hunting recreation
is fantastic near it's boundaries at many areas in Chincoteague Bay.
With an experienced Chincoteague
hunting guide,
you can expect to see large numbers of widgeon, gadwalls, mallards,
pintails, teal, black ducks, snow
geese, canada geese, swan, old squaw and many other diving
ducks while hunting this rich habitat.
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12.
Q. Are pets allowed on Assateague Beach? |
A.
Pets are not allowed at Assateague State Park, back country campsites,
or Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge. The Maryland end of Assateague
allows pets, but they must be kept on leashes. See
the Pet Regulations
page for more info.
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13.
Q. How do we get to Assateague Island? |
A.
Assateague Island is within easy driving distance from Washington DC,
New York, and many other East Coast areas. Refer to the Assateague
Map page for driving directions and more info.
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14.
Can we still buy the famous Chincoteague oysters? |
A.
Chincoteague Island became famous for it's salty oysters long before
the book "Misty" made the wild
ponies of Assateague so popular. During the late 80's
and 90's, the oysters have not been nearly as plentiful in the wild
as they once were. However, due to various farming techniques, the famous
oysters are now making a come back and so the salty taste should be
around for years ahead.
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15. Q.
Is camping allowed on or near the beach? |
A.
Camping on Assateague
Island is allowed at Assateague State Park in Maryland and
back country campsites that exist also. Many fine campgrounds can be
found on Chincoteague
Island and near Ocean
City.
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16.
Q. How many wild ponies live on Assateague? |
A.
Approximately 300 wild
ponies are distributed evenly
between the Maryland and Virginia portions of Assateague. |
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