The southern end of Assateague Island has a wonderful refuge just waiting for you to explore.
That little piece of North-East Virginia separated from the rest of the state by the Chesapeake Bay is the southern end of the Delmarva (DELaware, MAryland, VirginiA) Peninsula. Off the coast of the Delmarva Peninsula is a former barrier island called Chincoteague. Off the coast of that island is another barrier island called Assateague Island which stretches from Ocean City to Chincoteague, a total of 37 miles. Assateague Island is divided in two parts, Assateague Island National Seashore and Assateague State Park in Maryland and Chinoteague National Wildlife Refuge in Virginia. I hope you are still with me.
Location of Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge on the Delmarva Peninsula.
While still on Assateague Island, Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge is named for the neighboring island and town of Chincoteague. The southern end of Assateague was once home to a small settlement called Assateague Village located near the lighthouse. That was until one guy from Baltimore, S. B. Fields, bought most of the Virginia side of the island. After, the townsfolk gradually moved on to Chincoteague Island, taking their entire house with them, because Fields fenced off a lot of the common areas. In 1943, Fields sold his property to the U.S. Government. Chincoteague, today, has beach access, trails, wildlife and those famous “wild ponies.”
Let’s start with the Assateague Lighthouse. This gorgeous brick lighthouse was completed in 1867 and is still running.
Just down the road from the lighthouse is a causeway that goes across a marsh. On one side, you may see a pony, usually off in the distance.
The ponies do have a nice place to wander. They are fenced into certain areas in the refuge. If you go up to the national seashore in Maryland, they roam freely, often right through your campsite while they steal your food.
The wild ponies of Assateague Island are really just small horses. They don’t grow to normal size because of their poor, salt heavy diet which often leaves the horses bloated. They are descended from horses that farmers let roam free. The herd grew from very low numbers to the current adult count of approximately 150 on the Virginia side, 83 on the Maryland. Even though some outside genetics were introduced in the early 20th century, the horses are considered inbred due to the low numbers of horses on the island. The Chincoteague ponies are sold off yearly through an auction and receive some veterinary care. The Maryland herd is completely feral and only receives contraception to control the population.
I will admit they are cute, sometimes.
The horses coexist very well with birds. Who knew?
The Woodland Trail is just down the road again. Attractions to this trail include pony viewing and access to a good crabbing area. Not great in the summer due to mosquitoes. Lesson learned.
A little view of Tom’s Cove. S. B. Fields blocked the rest of the townspeople from access here. One of the reasons they left.
Chincoteague is home to the Delmarva Fox Squirrel, which is a rare subspecies of the fox squirrel. They are known for their silver color and bushy tails. They, of course, are adorable.
Tom’s Cove during the summer.
A great place to go walking is the Wildlife Loop (open to cars after 3 pm). A few trails branch off the Wildlife Loop, like the Marsh Trail.
Which leads to a marsh. Not surprising.
The Marsh Trail is a great place to look for marsh birds, like this Great Blue Heron.
Or this Great Egret. These birds are a common sight on Assateague Island.
If you want a long walk, you can take the service road that heads up to the Virginia/Maryland state line.
I crossed back to the beach, passing by the very smelly Shoveler Pool.
The ducks sure seem to like it. Notice the steam rising from the pool. It was not cold. Eeek!
Now for the beach. A beach runs the complete length of Assateague Island.
Lots of broken shells wash ashore here. Birds pick up the mollusks and drop them from a great height to open them up. It’s really cool.
Although, I did find this gem. Shell picking is completely legal here. This whelk shell is currently sitting on my TV stand at home.
Shorebirds looking for food.
A willet enjoying its day at the beach.
I headed back towards the Wildlife Loop and found myself a sika. Sika are introduced, originally from East Asia, and are related to Red Deer and elk (wapiti for those outside of North America). They never lose their spots and always look like baby elk.
Just look at that cute face. It ran toward me as it was heading into the brush. It really didn’t care that I was there.
The Assateague Lighthouse overlooking the marsh.
The marsh is always pretty.
I returned in June and saw a much greener marsh.
Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge is a fantastic place to go for a walk or a bike ride. If you are looking for ponies, it’s not the best place to go since the ponies are hard to see from the viewpoints. I really enjoyed walking on the beach and by the marshes, except that smelly one. The refuge gets really busy in the summer months because of the beach and the bugs are also horrible. Chincoteague is a great off-season destination on the Virginia coast.
Check out my next update where I will be exploring another swamp in Delaware!
or
Check out more national parks and other public lands!
