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Assateague Island in Maryland is comprised
of 3 public use areas: the Assateague Island National Seashore, the
Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge (which belongs to Virginia) and
the Assateague State Park. The island is famous for the “wild
Chincoteague ponies”, immortalized in the book Misty of Chincoteague
by Marguerite Henry, though the “ponies” are really horses
quasi-dwarfed by poor nutrition, and they are actually feral, not wild,
but that’s just picking nits. It’s still pretty neat that
two herds of 150 horses run and breed free on this undeveloped 37-mile
stretch of Barrier Island.
There are interesting and challenging outdoors adventures to have on
and near Assateague Island. The National Park Service maintains a number
and variety of campgrounds along the ocean and bay sides. Backcountry
camping is available with a permit, but visitors should be prepared
for the sometimes-harsh conditions on Barrier Islands. Hiking the island
is a great way to appreciate its wild beauty, and cyclists are permitted
on the paved roads along the shore. Hunters can bag waterfowl and deer
in designated area, providing they have a license.
The “wild ponies” aren’t the only interesting wildlife
on and around Assateague Island; the area is the home of Sika (tiny
Asian deer) the endangered Delmarva Fox Squirrel.
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