Assateague Island

From the Mountains... to the Sea!  

April 29th & 30th, 2016

Assateague Island Beach to Pine Tree Campsites (12 miles round trip)

     In my on-going quest to try new things and "slosh" up my soul, I decided I would backpack a piece of Assateague Island National Seashore in Maryland.  I had never backpacked on any beach and I thought it would be something fun to try before the summer heat and bugs arrive in full force just a few weeks from now.
     Assateague is a 37 mile-long barrier island that is host to some of the most undeveloped shoreline on the Eastern Seaboard.  The park is also home to wild horses that roam freely on the island.  I decided I would aim for the State Line back country campsite, a stout 12.5 miles down the beach, almost to the MD-VA state line.
     Now, hiking 12.5 miles in the mountains is a solid day, but hiking 12.5 miles on the beach is even more exhausting.  Albeit, there's no elevation change but you're constantly sinking in the sand and fighting to keep moving forward.  Also, in Assateague, you must carry ALL of the water you plan on using; there's no freshwater streams or piped in water sources at the back country sites.

Beach Hiking!!

     My day started quietly by departing the ranger station and having a couple take my picture on the beach.  It was overcast, windy, and about 50 degrees.  Common sense told me that the sand would be the firmest right along the water, so I spent a little ways zigzagging trying to find the firmest spots and avoid the water.  For some reason, I decided to try hiking inland on the beach, just a few feet from the OSV (over sand vehicle) ruts.  The sand proved to be packed solid and crusty in most areas just above the OSV tread way.  Despite this, it was still somewhat taxing to hike mile after mile on the beach.  That, paired with the gusty wind, and my aching knee gave me second thoughts about hiking all the way to State Line and camping on the beach.  After about 6 miles of beach hiking, I decided to turn inland and head towards Pine Tree camp sites that are located on the bay side.  This proved to be a smart move because at Pine Tree, it was less windy, warmer, and smelled of pine.  Even more amazing was the absence of bugs; literally there were none!  Usually, the bay side is more buggy but less windy and the ocean side is less buggy but more windy.  I pitched my tent on a little sand berm with a gorgeous view out into the Sinepuxent Bay.  The only horses I saw while hiking were from afar; they were grazing way out in the bay.

Campsite at Pine Tree, looking out into Sinepuxent Bay

     The following morning, I packed up and retraced my steps from the previous day, all 6 miles back to the ranger station.  I would like to backpack the whole island, but it's roughly 25 miles of beach walking, with no opportunities to refill water.  This would be a major concern in summer but if you make the journey on cloudy and cool days, it would only be a little less of a concern.  If you go from Assateague, down into Virginia, all the way to Tom's Cove, it's a logistical nightmare to get back; involving over 50 miles of country roads to get back to Assateague.  Also, due to Assateague being approximately 37 miles long, it's never more than a mile wide, and that leaves very limited hiking options and unusually restrictive access due to its geography.  All in all, I was satisfied with my overnight camping trip in Assateague.  I can now say that I've hiked in the mountains AND by the sea!  It was equally stunning and beautiful in its own way.
     For more information about Assateague and back country camping on the island, visit the park's website:
https://www.nps.gov/asis/planyourvisit/marylandcamping.htm

Assateague... in all her natural beauty!